Month: August 2016

Sunday Rewind: Where Are the Burning Bushes Today?

  I love a great fire.  A burning bush would grab my attention.  There is something mesmerizing about the flicker of a flame.  Imagine life prior to electricity.  The only lights available were combustable.  Street lamps and night lights were nothing more than candle light.  Only fire broke open the darkness.  I guess then that it shouldn’t surprise me that God chose a burning bush to grab the attention of Moses. Even with all our bright modern technology, our world can still feel dark.  In the midst of life’s struggles where we feel like we are groping in the black, many of often wish God would show up in a burning bush.  We wish God would break open our darkness and give us a clear[…]

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Sunday Rewind for August 7: What Does God Really Want?

  What does God really want?  We like knowing the bottom line.  When I buy a car, I want to see the final “out the door” price before I agree to anything.  No one likes fine print, those hidden details requiring a magnifying glass to read.   The same goes for God and the church.  What is the bottom line for Jesus?  How much time, how many prayers, how much money do I “have to” give to know I’ve arrived?  In the end, what does it really take to make God satisfied? Throughout the summer at Christ United Methodist Church in Gastonia, NC, we’re asking some BIG questions!  Here is our Sunday Rewind for August 7, 2016.  We ask the big question, “What Does God[…]

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Sunday Rewind for August 7: How Can She Be a Pastor?

  How can she be a pastor?  For many, this question betrays common sense.  We live in a new day.  Hillary Clinton officially became the first female candidate for President of the United States represented by a major political part.  Whether you support her policies or not, her nomination represents enormous progress towards gender equality in our country.  Why would anyone ask about female pastors?  Aren’t we past, way past, this question? How can she be a pastor?  Many others ask this question with an honest desire to tailor their lives to the words of Scripture.  Scripture provides a few very direct passages that forbid female leadership in churches.  Several denominations restrict female leadership.  Historically, the church significantly limited female leadership.  Yet, in many other[…]

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