Tag Archives: cogwa

White Paper: The Theology of Authority and the Continuing Lessons of the UCG–COGWA Division

Posted on October 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The separation between the United Church of God (UCG) and the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA) in 2010 was not primarily a doctrinal dispute over Sabbath observance, holy days, or the gospel—it was a conflict over … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Power Of A Teacher

Posted on November 19, 2023 by nathanalbright

[Note: This is the prepared text for a sermon given to The Dalles congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, November 18, 2023.] What is the power of a teacher? I am aware that we do not, as … Continue reading →

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Below Are The Words Of Mine, Not God

Posted on February 26, 2023 by nathanalbright

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 →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church of God, Love & Marriage, Musings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

In Hard Plastic

Posted on December 10, 2021 by nathanalbright

A bit more than ten years ago I was an observer (and participant) in a debate that centered around a series of false accusations that were made that swayed a certain group of people to act in a certain way. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Church of God, Musings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

From Many, One

Posted on September 28, 2021 by nathanalbright

The sermonette today was a very interesting one on the similarities and parallels between the way that the United States was formed from many peoples into one nation and how it is that the Father creates the Israel of God … Continue reading →

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Wuv, Sweet Wuv: A Case Study In The Problem Of Projection

Posted on December 15, 2020 by nathanalbright

A long time ago [1], I had reason to examine the doctrine of love. As is typically the case, there is a wide gulf between our perceptions of being and feeling loved and the reality of love that exists in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Love & Marriage | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The Epistle Of 1 Clement And The Prelude To Papal Claims Of Authority

Posted on April 25, 2018 by nathanalbright

It is perhaps little surprise that the first time that a congregation seeks to interfere in the leadership of another congregation, that the interfering congregation happens to be Rome and that the move to bolster friendly authorities in another congregation … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Some Observations On The Ministry Of Reconciliation: Part One

Posted on April 30, 2017 by nathanalbright

Yesterday after eating snacks and before going to the sermonette workshop, I had a brief conversation with a friend of mine that involved, as it often has recently, questions of conversion, which would make sense as she is working towards … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Why Does Love Always Feel Like A Battlefield?

Posted on April 6, 2017 by nathanalbright

From time to time I listen to my favorite song by one of the more obscure winners of American Idol over the course of its existence, “Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks.  Over and over again in the song, she asks herself … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Capitalism, Slavery, And Republican Values

Posted on December 21, 2015 by nathanalbright

Capitalism, Slavery, And Republican Values: American Political Economists, 1819-1848, by Allen Kaufman This book, at slightly over 160 pages if its lengthy introduction and forward by a couple of fellow Marxist travelers is included, is at least mercifully short. One … Continue reading →

Posted in American Civil War, American History, Book Reviews, Christianity, Church of God, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments