Category Archives: Church of God

Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἂν

Posted on March 30, 2020 by

Under what circumstances do we keep the Passover?  To be sure, most of us will be keeping the Passover this coming year under different circumstances than we normally do.  At least in my own experience since being baptized slightly more … Continue reading →

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On The Importance Of Exhausting The Possible Space

Posted on March 29, 2020 by

Yesterday during the sermonette portion of services for our local congregation, which has been meeting remotely during the current Coronavirus crisis, a video played to support camp.  It is expected that the camps will be open at some point during … Continue reading →

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Keeping The Night To Be Much Observed While Maintaining Social Distance

Posted on March 25, 2020 by

During these times of Coronavirus, many governors have ordered that people avoid social gatherings of more than ten people.  Oregon’s governor, for example, has made the following statement about social gatherings:  “All non-essential social and recreational gatherings of individuals are … Continue reading →

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The Quarantine Before The Exodus

Posted on March 23, 2020 by

Yesterday I had the chance to listen (along with a few thousand other people) the weekly church services that were being filmed in a generally empty hall by the Home Office of the church I attend.  Among the many practical … Continue reading →

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A Psalm Of Ascents Check-Up

Posted on March 8, 2020 by

[These are the notes for a message that was given to the Portland UCG congregation on Sabbath, March 7, 2020.  The audio for the message can be found here.] Many of us are familiar with the reality of the annual … Continue reading →

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On Sheep, Wolves, And Shepherds

Posted on February 24, 2020 by

Yesterday, continuing his theme of addressing the sort of evil that believers have to deal with, our pastor talked about predators.  My own thoughts about such things are immensely complicated, as they usually are, by my own personal experience.  Nevertheless, … Continue reading →

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They Will Look Upon Me Whom They Pierced: Part One

Posted on February 9, 2020 by

How much foreknowledge does the Bible offer us in its prophecies?  There are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus Christ that are present in the Old Testament.  Today I would like to look at one of the more obscure ones that … Continue reading →

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The Art Of The Sermonette, Or, On The Difficulties Of Cultural Change

Posted on February 2, 2020 by

Just about every two weeks or so between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Days of Unleavened Bread, my congregation has a sermonette workshop for those of us who are involved in giving sermonettes.  It has always greatly amused me … Continue reading →

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Immortal Worms And Mortal Souls

Posted on January 12, 2020 by

[Note:  These are the notes to a sermonette spoken to the United Church of God congregation in Portland, Oregon on January 11, 2019.] How often do you think about immortal worms?  If I had to guess, it is not very … Continue reading →

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Book Review: When Women Were Priests

Posted on December 10, 2019 by

When Women Were Priests:  Women’s Leadership In The Early Church & The Scandal Of Their Subordination In The Rise Of Christianity, by Karen Jo Torjesen This book has a terrible title, but it is not a terrible book.  That does … Continue reading →

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