Category: church
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Pastoral Authority
My latest article for the Leadership Journal blog has been posted, “Pastoral Authority: Earned, Taken, or Granted?” Typically I come up with the topics for these articles, but in this case Brandon suggested that a few of us tackle the theme of pastoral authority. I’m glad he did. This isn’t something I’d have thought to…
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Everything Is Evangelism
This is why St. Paul in his letters does not find it necessary to urge his readers to be active in evangelism but does find it necessary to warn them against any compromise with the rulers of this age. Leslie Newbigin’s words about evangelism in The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society will catch some readers…
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What would you say at 8th grade commencement?
Once again, I solicit your help. A couple of weeks ago I was asked to be the 8th grade commencement speaker at the elementary school where our church meets for worship on Sundays. This invitation elicited two responses. First, I was thrilled that the school administration trusts our church enough to ask me. Second, I…
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Roadside Sabbath
Do you ever pay attention to the highway median when you’re on a long road trip? The space between a divided road and the few feet of no-man’s-land just beyond the blacktop have intrigued me since reading A Sand County Almanac in college. I’ve lost my copy but, if memory serves, Aldo Leopold sees in…
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A Memorial Day Prayer
Here is the prayer I offered before my sermon yesterday. Our Heavenly Father, As our country celebrates Memorial Day tomorrow, a day set apart to remember those women and men who have died in military service to the United States, we pause to remember all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one…
David W. Swanson 