Christian Living & Faith Blog | Covenant Presbyterian Church

Statistics tell us that ministers have one of the higher-stress jobs in our nation. There are regular duties which must be performed no matter, what and they are generally both public and highly scrutinized. Then there’s the always-on-call part of the job, never knowing what will come up and when. The COVID pandemic didn’t help, as face-to-face ministry became impossible for a time, non-profit organizations faced funding stresses, and the need to catch up with technological tools overnight was demanded…

Forgiveness, especially as one's life ebbs away, involves thinking in more ultimate terms where foolishness and triviality quickly fade and vanish. My dad passed away in April, spending his last few weeks in the ICU. He did not “go gentle into that good night”, but continued to give marching orders and advice. As one’s life ebbs away, I suppose you think in more ultimate terms. Foolishness and triviality quickly fade and vanish. This is what we discussed about…

In a Christian high school class with three handfuls of students, all regular church attenders, only one had been in a church service with a creed. Don’t ask why we were on this subject, but I asked, “From where does the Holy Spirit come?” Most ninth graders know other trivia, however, one did blurt out “from the Father and the Son”. When my state of speechlessness ended, I said, “Oh yes, you’re Greek Orthodox.” Regularly reciting the Nicene Creed in…

Cheerful helping for Christians involves enduring physical and spiritual difficulties, as Jesus told his disciples that following him would not be easy. The early church in Jerusalem, for example, went through dire circumstances in the first century, including a famine in A.D. 46 and great persecution around the time of Stephen's stoning (Acts 7), which saw physical abuse, imprisonment, and death wear upon believers in Jesus. Peter will write…

Job was minding his own business. He had a number of children, significant land holdings, more livestock than most, and was considered “greatest of all people in the east” (Job 1). His business was obviously significant. Job was living for God—blameless, upright, fearing God, shunning evil, and keeping his integrity under great hardship. God allowed Satan two runs at Job. “All that he has is in your hand, only against him do not stretch out your hand.” Job got through…

Our marching orders as Christians are to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain. Just as the King’s Guard stands disciplined at their post, and puppies have much to learn, Christians also need discipline. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” This, from the pen…

The Christian perspective on living blessedly forever often contrasts with secular pursuits of happiness, as sociologist Christian Smith's concept of 'moralistic therapeutic deism' highlights the beliefs of Christian young people. On a recent forty-five-minute drive, I listened to a talk radio conversation on the pursuit of happiness. The personalities bounced around questions such as, “What is happiness? How does one find it? Once found, how is it kept or maintained? Can happiness be found in this life?” A couple of “Happiness Experts” jumped in with their two cents. Some years back, sociologist Christian Smith coined “moralistic therapeutic deism” to describe the beliefs of Christian young people. Their beliefs were the…

When people ask me, “What do you do?” I have to work up my courage to say, “I’m a preacher.” Responses vary, depending on the context and any previous interactions. Usually it is, “Oh!” and they back away with all manner of throat clearing. What I should say is this: “I am a minister of the Word of God, a steward of the Gospel, an ambassador of God, one who makes known the message of reconciliation, and I tell people…

The Christian understanding of vocation encompasses finding work that utilizes skills, serves neighbors, provides for needs, and allows support for the church and the poor. In our local congregation, we are praying for several people to find jobs, reflecting this understanding. Our prayers for these usually sound like this: “Lord, please provide work for so-and-so. Give them work that utilizes their skills, allows them to serve their neighbors, provides for their own needs, and let them earn a little extra so that they may support the church and help the poor.” Our prayer is rooted in the…

1 – Because God designed us to work, Satan will use work to destroy us. We are prone to live to work instead of work to live. We will work but ignore marriage, neglect parenting, fail to serve the church, fall short of neighborliness, become addicted to our gadgets, and spend time doing what God has not called us to do. If we aren’t careful and thankful, we can find ourselves dissatisfied with our lot in life. 2 – Spend…

Barnacles can teach us spiritual lessons about unwelcome attachments and the need for routine removal, much like the physical challenges they present. I’ve had a couple of run-ins with barnacles, leaving a faint scar on my leg from climbing rocks on the Georgia seacoast. A barefooted island adventure also did not end well, requiring surgery. A skiff we had for a time on the coast required routine scraping and painting on its hull to remove these unwelcome…

In a small house church in China, two families stood before the congregation for the weekly Bible ceremony service. This congregation possessed only two Bibles. One was reserved for the pastor’s daily preparation to feed the congregation from the Scriptures. The other copy was sent home each Sunday with a different family for their use. With tears, one family passed the Bible to the next, who received it with joy. They anticipated what the previous family had experienced—a week of…