March

Jeffrey O. Brown

Seminary was over. When I landed in London, I called the senior pastor to whom I had been assigned. “Pastor Vine, we have arrived in England and will join you shortly. Is that all right?” “Oh, landed in England, have you? Jolly good.” “Yes, Pastor. We intend to spend the weekend at my dad’s in London and will come up to Leeds on Monday. Will that be OK?” “Oh, coming up to Leeds, are you? Jolly good.” Pastor Vine’s tone, though cheery, was slightly discomforting.… Continue reading...

Ramon J. Canals

Hanging on one of the walls in my house is a beautiful nature scene with Psalm 46:10, which reads, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is a daily reminder of the most important thing in my life—to know God. But it also reminds me that I must be still to know God, which is a tall order for me. How can I “be still” when there is so much to do? I can hear the phone ringing and pinging. I hear the notifications flooding in, followed by a text, a tweet, and the… Continue reading...

Laszlo Gallusz

Some of the major challenges pastors may face are misconceptions about God in the minds of those to whom they minister. These misconceptions are often fueled by a misinterpretation of biblical texts that picture God in terms of an arbitrary despot who imposes His divine will and punishes those who do not comply. Picturing God as punitive rather than loving results in fear-based obedience, often producing rebellious characters. In Love Fights Back, Patrick Johnson,… Continue reading...

Respect for Marriage Act and Fairness for All Act Washington, DC, United States The Seventh-day Adventist Church has not endorsed or advocated for the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, voted by the United States Senate on November 16, 2022. The legislation requires states to recognize marriages from other states, including same-sex marriages. Due to concerns expressed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and other religious freedom advocates, amended legislation… Continue reading...

Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend four hours sharpening the axe.” The idea is that a dull axe will multiply the amount of energy and action required to chop down a tree. A sharp axe will make quick and effective work of the task. When I lived in Oregon, I had a woodstove to warm the house. In my shed, I had two axes to chop wood, one dull and the other sharp. Sometimes I would thoughtlessly grab… Continue reading...