J.Hill
-
Age of the Scattered Church
Eddie Hammett wrote a book with the title, The Gathered and Scattered Church. The phrase was coined at some point in the Christian story to identify times when believers were gathered for worship, and times when believers were scattered for… Continue reading
-
“Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me”
Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me! I hope you’re old enough to remember the song. It was one of Hee-Haw’s greatest bits (1969-1992) by Buck Owens and Roy Clark. I hope you even sang it when you read it. Yet,… Continue reading
-
A Worship Service for Private or Small Group Devotion
Call to Worship One: Open wide the doors, All: Let the people in. One: Open wide the doors, All: God is found within. One: Open up your hearts, All: See what love can do. One: Open up your hearts, All:… Continue reading
-
A Reflection on the Authority of the Scripture
In 2018, I developed an outline for the 2019 themes for this magazine. I weaved together topics of biblical, doctrinal, and cultural nature. I have endeavored to generate dialogue among readers and groups; to wrestle with a theme and consider… Continue reading
-
Being a Follower of Christ
What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Congregations have used these terms to describe discipleship since the Early Church, and yet I am not sure we fully understand what it means today. Christian faith is centered on… Continue reading
-
A Service of Worship
Call to Worship Leader: We worship a God who is beyond us and yet near to us. All: We worship a God who speaks to us in creation, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit. Leader: We revere God for God’s power… Continue reading
-
“Do-er of the Word”
Shortly after returning to the US with our adopted sons, we visited a local festival with games and rides. In addition to the clicking and clacking of the rides and the shouts from carnival barkers trying to attract contestants for… Continue reading
-
Moses & The Torah
Perhaps you’re like me and look forward to the annual airing of The Ten Commandments, usually on the Saturday night between Passover and Resurrection morning. Few men in the Old Testament carry a reputation as dynamic as Moses. In fact,… Continue reading
-
A Worship Service ~ Death
Call To Worship Leader: God hears us when we cry out and when the sense of loss is at its greatest. People: God nourishes our spirits with love and a healing presence. Leader: We thrive in that divine presence right… Continue reading
-
The Mystery of Death
Let’s face it—none of us are getting out of here alive! I get it, the idea of death causes a range of emotions; fear, amazement, grief, sadness, or despair. For me, death, like birth, is an incredible mystery of God’s… Continue reading
