Tag: Brokenness
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A Cross in my Hand
I have a cross which is designed to be held in one’s hand. It was given to me when I was installed as pastor and teacher at my church. It has rounded corners and it is smooth to the touch. It is unfinished and it is designed to absorb the oils from hands over time.…
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The Idea of Brokenness is Great…
I like the idea of brokenness. I like thinking and talking about the fact that the church is a place for broken people, where broken people can be accepted and loved. I like Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and all that. I say that I like the idea of brokenness, because the…
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That Which Gives Us Value
On Sunday mornings, I lead worship at my church. I look out and look at my congregation. Many of them are unemployed, some of them stay on the street, many of them struggle to make ends meet. Many in my congregation are visibly broken and noticeably hurting. We collect an offering, because stewardship is important…
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I almost gave up on someone, and I’m glad I didn’t
Like many inner-city ministries, we often have people show up who are at various levels of intoxication. We, as a rule, do not turn people away simply because they are drunk. If people come to a worship service intoxicated, or show up to our Saturday morning breakfast program intoxicated, they are welcome to join us…
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Connection with God in the Midst of Concrete and Steel
I often hear people talk about how they feel close to God while in nature: a forest, meadow, lake, ocean. It is in these areas that many people can often discern the fingerprints and footprints of God. I can definitely relate to this, however, I have also learned to be able to encounter God in…
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Ministry is terrific…or is it terrible?
There is someone who would often ask me, “so how was work with God today?” This was of course referring to the fact that I am a pastor and with the assumption that I get the ability to spend every day in some kind of special divine fellowship. This is true insofar as we all,…
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My Un-Cool Church
I enjoy reading the blog of Rachel Held Evans (rachelheldevans.com), and I was particularly impacted by this post: http://rachelheldevans.com/blessed-are-the-uncool Her basic argument is that our churches should be the places where everyone is welcome, people who have a lot of money as well as people who live on the street, people who have physical or…
Matthew van Maastricht 