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Dec, 01, 2009 0
Higher education has been a denominational focus from the earliest days of the Church of the Nazarene. Our predecessors started Bible schools and institutes to educate clergy and laity in theology and practical, professional arts. Many of these schools matured into comprehensive colleges and…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
"We are a symbol of warmth and welcome. We are a simple pleasure, honest and genuine. We are home. We are family. We are friends." Is this the motto of a local church or denomination? No, this is how the Panera Bread company described itself in an article that also described the restaurants as the…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
We tend to think of holiness as an attribute of people—God and humans. But a curious aspect of holiness in the Bible is how things such as the Sabbath and temple utensils are regarded as holy. The fact that even things can be holy gives us an important insight: To be holy is to be placed in a…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
Flying into Palm Springs, California, USA, brought a new understanding to a passage of Scripture I had read often. Looking out the airplane window, everything suddenly changed from barren desert to lush green grass. It didn't take any scientific analysis for me to know the reason for the change—…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
A perception exists that if there is a problem between a pastor and congregation, the district superintendent can fix it. I have found that many people are afraid to speak to their pastors about an area of their ministry or an issue in the church until the situation spins out of control. My…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
Among the many legends that come from the Greek myths is the story of Orpheus. He was so blessed by the gods with the gift of song that nothing could withstand the power of his beautiful singing. The story of Orpheus is of course a myth, but the Christian Church has a real "Orpheus." His name is…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
What do you do when the word "church" carries all the wrong connotations? When "Christian" is either something one is by cultural heritage or something society has recently moved beyond by becoming "post-Christian?" When "love" means sex, warm feelings, or an anything goes approach to life?
Well…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
It has always been a favorite Christmas story of mine: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It so beautifully illustrates the outreach of a local church to the rowdy children of a neighborhood family, the Herdmans. But it became even more dear to me one Christmas when I saw it in real life on the…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
We expect to hear about the inappropriate use of finances in the secular world—big business and government. But misuse of money in the church by Christians? Surely that is an oxymoron.
All too regularly media reports relate the misdeeds of one church leader after another with respect to church…
Dec, 01, 2009 0
Grandma died December 15, 2005, at 93 years old. Her lengthy name, Ninah Mae Mitchell Eyre Simmons, revealed her southern roots, Scotch English heritage, and two marriages ending in widowhood. In her lifetime, she moved less than 75 miles from her Louisiana birthplace residence in Montgomery to her…