Category Archives: Church of God

A Liturgical Interlude

Nearly two decades ago I found myself as an unusual student at a religious educational institution attending a discussion on the matter of liturgy. Both then and now this was a surprising and unusual interest and yet despite the fact … Continue reading

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And The Spirit And The Bride Say, Come

Earlier this evening, as I write this, I received a question from a friend of mine who belongs to a Church of God in her native New Zealand. She had an interaction with a couple of people who belong to … Continue reading

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The Harvest Truly Is Plentiful

[Note: The following is the prepared text for a sermonette given to the Portland congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, May 20, 2023.] As we approach the festival of Pentecost, it is worthwhile for us to ponder … Continue reading

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Laying Up Treasures In Hell

It has long been recognized that among the more notable and glorious uses of what is frequently deemed to be unrighteous mammon is for those earthly riches to fund heavenly projects. When one listens to beautiful music or travels to … Continue reading

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The Lord Said To My Lord

Psalm 110:1 is the first verse of one of the key psalms of the Bible, one that invites a great variety of questions, including the extent to which David was familiar with the nature of God. There are a few … Continue reading

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Liturgy: Because Someone Has To Think Of These Things

Today was the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, as I write this, and I found myself rather bemused by the fact that I frequently find myself involved in some fashion in matters of liturgy, whether because I am involved in … Continue reading

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Everything I Love

By the time I was barely a teenager, I had learned an unpleasant lesson that it appears some people are rather slow in learning. That lesson was that institutions are vulnerable to takeover, and are not often worth the faith … Continue reading

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Everyone Who Prepares His Heart To Seek God

[Note: These are the prepared notes for an offertory sermonette given to the United Church of God congregation in Portland, Oregon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, April 6, 2023.] Good afternoon brethren. I hope you all had a … Continue reading

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Below Are The Words Of Mine, Not God

One of the unfortunate but inevitable consequences of being a public intellectual, especially in the context of the Church of God, is that one is the occasional recipient of messages from cranks who conflate their own human reasoning with the … Continue reading

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Walking On The Sea

Recently I received a question about the Gospels that has attracted a fair amount of commentary. Two passages in the Bible tell the same story of Jesus Christ walking on water, one of His most notable miracles, and one that … Continue reading

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