God
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We actually like change
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5 min read
It is funny when you are in an organization that hears the word “change” and breaks out into metaphorical hives, because the response is predictable. We hear the same chorus: “Why change anything, we’re doing fine.” “We’re not the church of what’s happenin’ now.”* “There’s so much change in the world, I want church to…
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Learning to change from the prodigal sons
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4 min read
In the parable of the lost son(s), Jesus tells of a son that must go out and experience the world, forsaking his father and wasting his inheritance. After the young man hits rock bottom, he comes back home humiliated and hoping to work in the stable as one of his father’s workers. But to our…
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When GOD doesn’t provide
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5 min read
If you say the phrase “God will provide” in the Downs house, you’ll likely get your mouth taped shut. Not by me, but by my wife: she’s the pragmatist. “God doesn’t pay the electric bill!” she’ll retort. Since I was let go, we’ve been facing this very issue; trusting in GOD while trying to understand…
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Hearing Jesus: my manifesto
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2 min read
The most profound thing Jesus ever taught wasn’t something he said. It is something he did. He split his time with his followers and took on a different posture for each group. And of course, there are three groups: The Needy Jesus gave his greatest gifts to those most in need of it: his time,…
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Lent is about trust
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1 min read
In the first Sunday of Lent, we read about the Temptation of Jesus. But is Jesus really tempted? Or is there something else going on? Who really needs to worry about temptation? And what is Lent really about? If you were at St. Paul’s on Sunday, you may already know, but the rest of us…
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Finding the lost
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3 min read
As I prepared for the sermon a little over a week ago on Luke 15:1-10, I was bowled over by a thought—too tangential for what I was hoping to do on Sunday, but too important to ignore. Jesus introduces a trio of “lost” things in parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost…