Tag Archives: religion

Jesus Calls All Religions to Repent and Reform

Posted on March 30, 2019 by John

If Christians understood Jesus as he came to us, as the One who calls all religions to reform and repentance, we would listen to and respect, and not ignore or hate, the voices of all other faiths. Concerned citizens gathered … Continue reading →

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Shadow and Substance

Posted on July 25, 2013 by John

                      The apostle, Paul, writes to many congregations whose main problem is not the lack of religion, but too much of the wrong kind. The church at Colossae is one of them.             In the lesson for the 10th Sunday after … Continue reading →

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Knowing and Not Knowing: The Holy Trinity

Posted on June 2, 2012 by John

Tomorrow is Holy Trinity Sunday. I believe the best thing about the doctrine of the Trinity is its nod to unknowing. The early church beat back several attempts to make the knowledge of God manageable. Gnostics wanted to  have a … Continue reading →

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Do Our Pets Go To Heaven?

Posted on October 15, 2011 by John

At our first annual Blessing of the Animals service we shared stories. After Sharon told of the way her dog had (perhaps) saved her life when she was worn down with caring for her dying father and she began to … Continue reading →

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First Blessing of the Animals Goes Well

Posted on October 15, 2011 by John

On the afternoon of September 25 Heatherhope Farm hosted its first Blessing of the Animals—an event we hope to host annually. We purposely did not advertise this event too widely so that we could keep the numbers small and feel … Continue reading →

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One-of-a-Kind Spot

Posted on October 16, 2010 by John

Training young Spot to be a sheepdog reminds me of the need to see all dogs–and all people–as individuals. Continue reading →

Posted in Border Collies, Faith, Farm Diary, Featured, John's Posts, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Long Time Coming: Thoughts on Retirement as a Pastor

Posted on August 20, 2010 by John

A pastor retires from the ministry and discovers both God’s New Creation and that his calling truly was to parish life. Continue reading →

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No Short-Cut To Freedom

Posted on July 23, 2010 by John

Discussions of controversial issues in the church cannot draw people together in compromise or concensus without the long-term development of true faith that alone can give people the freedom to live for others. Continue reading →

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Here I Am

Posted on June 21, 2010 by John

While we busy ourselves with religion, God is in the midst of life saying, “Hey! Here I am.” Continue reading →

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Is Religion Reasonable?

Posted on April 3, 2010 by John

Relilgion can be good or bad. But reason can be too. Continue reading →

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