The Hermit and the Blackbird
By Donavon Riley
03/27/26
11mins

The Hermit and the Blackbird

Lent exists because we are forgetful creatures. We forget how hungry we really are.
Getting Over Your Moral Superiority
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
03/26/26

Getting Over Your Moral Superiority

The Pharisee valued fasting and giving tithes, but could not find value in his fellow sinner.
The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
Magnus Persson
Magnus Persson
03/25/26

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.

All Articles

Steven A. Hein
Steven A. Hein
11/25/15

Justification: You Have It All, But You Always Need More

To be justified means to be declared righteous in the forgiveness that is ours in the crucified Christ. It is a done deal, and by faith we have it all.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/21/15

When It Comes to Sin, Does Size Matter?

It doesn’t matter how good you seem to be, you’ll always be able to find someone who seems better than you. We’re addicted to comparing, measuring, quantifying, and judging.
Paul Dunk
Paul Dunk
11/19/15

On Getting Rid of Sad People

Last night our family watched Pixar's Inside Out and yes, I'm very late to that Pixar party. I enjoyed the film. The personification of Joy and Sadness was extraordinary.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/18/15

A Sinning Church with a Preaching Problem

We are a sinning church with a preaching problem.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/17/15

From Hitler’s Wolves to Christ’s Lambs: The Chaplain to Nazi War Criminals

What makes this story remarkable is that this man, along with others hanged that day, was among the most hated men in human history. He was guilty of atrocities so horrific only words forged in hell could adequately describe them.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/13/15

The Door No One Can Walk Through

The water and blood that streamed forth from Christ, streams us back into him as we are buoyed up by the waves of baptism, through the wound, and into the body of God incarnate.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/05/15

How Do I Know My Name Is Written in the Book of Life?

Our Father does not bid us to turn inward, but outward, to the Son who is himself our unending Sabbath rest.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/05/15

We All Show up Late for Church

When we begin singing the opening hymn, our voices blend with those of angels in heaven, who have been belting out hymns long before we rolled out of bed that morning.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
11/04/15

The Long, Sad Road of an Unrepentant Life

I was recently challenged to write about someone I know. A very specific someone who is extremely flawed and broken, even if they don't know it or care to admit it.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/02/15

Attaching a Résumé to Our Prayers

We are fond of attaching our own résumés to our spoken or unspoken prayers. “I thank you, Lord, that I am not like other men, such as that lying, pathetic, husband named Abraham.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/29/15

Please God, Let There Be a Purgatory

We harbor a clandestine doctrine in our hearts: we secretly hope there is a purgatory.
Rick Ritchie
Rick Ritchie
10/27/15

That Sermon Was Perfect For Those People

If there was a proclamation of grace, it was an afterthought, given in the sense of “just in case anyone needs this.”
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