Ep 69: Ex-Mormon Ministry Founder Lynn Wilder

Dr. Lynn Wilder is a retired education professor who began the ministry Ex-Mormon Christians United For Jesus with her husband Michael Wilder, which you can read more about at: http://www.unveilingmormonism.com/. Dr. Wilder has written or co-authored a number of books about walking away from the Mormon faith and coming to know the Good News of Jesus as found in the Bible:
Unveiling Grace
Leaving Mormonism
7 Reasons We Left Mormonism

Our conversation goes into her personal story as well as the history and beliefs of the Mormon religion.

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Ep 68: E. Byron Anderson on his book Common Worship
Ep 62: Stephen Backhouse on the Life of Kierkegaard
Ep 45: Religion and Philosophy Professor Brooks McDaniel

Episode 52: Fernando Ortega's The Crucifixion of Jesus

Episode 50: Stu G on the Beatitudes Project

Episode 49: Doug Chu on White Churches, Multicultural Worship, and the Asian-American Experience
Episode 47: Dr. Lester Ruth on the history of Contemporary Worship
Episode 26: Zac Hicks author of The Worship Pastor
Episode 07: Pastor Luke Edwards on "why churches should stop giving stuff away"

Episode 08: Dr. Jeremiah Gibbs on Postmodern Apologetics

Episode 11: Thom Blair on the Hebrew English Interlinear O.T. and Logos Bible Software

Episode 17: Pastor Douglas Wilson 

Episode 33: Author Michelle Van Loon on the Church Calendar

Sermon: Coming Down From the Mountain on Transfiguration Sunday

Transfiguration by Alexandr Ivanov

This was a sermon given at Epiphany Church in Peoria, Illinois (www.epiphanypeoria.org), Transfiguration Sunday, the Sunday before Lent. The readings were:

2 Kings 2.1-12

Psalm 50.1-6

2 Corinthians 4.3-6

Mark 9.2-9

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Sometimes coming down from the mountain leads to the wilderness.

Sometimes Lent is our wilderness…

And sometime when we go out into the wilderness it ends up becoming our mountaintop.

A Commentary on Ben Hur—Part 2

Here continues part 2 of my commentary on the 1959 classic epic film Ben Hur staring Charlton Heston. Click here for part 1.

A Commentary on Ben Hur—Part 1

Ben Hur is one of the most iconic movies of all time. I recently got a library card (which I highly recommend) and started checking out classic films that I cannot currently lazily stream through Netrix or Amazon Slime. PSA: libraries are incredible resources. Support your local library! 

I began watching Ben Hur, only to realize this was too interesting not to write about. Here is my scene by seen (zing!) assessment of the film. Feel free to grab your own copy and read through the article as you watch it yourself. Every point is basically a stand alone thought. That is, I am making no attempt at a formal essay—I just logging my thoughts as I go.

Click here for Part 2 of my commentary.

Sermon: Taking a Pilgrimage to the Wounds of Christ in the "Doubting Thomas" Story

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas,“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” —From John chapter 20

Within Christianity and human culture in general is the concept and practice of pilgrimage. When someone "goes on a pilgrimage" two important things happen to them at once. First, in a very physical sense they go on a journey, they travel to the place of their pilgrimage, they arrive there and take in all that that place is. Second, they prepare mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for the time they will spend in that place because the place itself means something and because they expect to have some kind of experience when they are in the place of their pilgrimage.

Come to his marvellous light: A Sermon For the Feast of the Epiphany

Having an Epiphany about Epiphany at Epiphany on Epiphany.

When Greg Lynn and I started meeting together to figure out how to start a church community in Peoria we inevitably started talking about names.

Should we pick something traditional, something that sounds old? Or something that sounds new, something that reaches out and grabs today's people?

And what do we want to say about ourselves, about this community that does not yet exist? What would we want to say about the kind of people we are?

Plunge into the glorious mystery: A Sermon For Trinity Sunday

As a teenager I read through the whole Bible over the course of a few years. It took me a while to slog through some of the more obscure books—the Levitical laws and the prophets—a lot of the Old Testament stuff. The New Testament was different though. The Gospels and the book of Acts were these riveting narratives and the Epistles—of Paul and Peter and John and whoever else—contained this complicated philosophy I was only beginning to understand.

Well if you go back and look at my old Bibles (either an NKJV or an NASB) in many New Testament passages you will find the symbol above scribbled all over the margins.

We Have a Problem With Authority: A Reflection on Christ The King Sunday

Yesterday was Christ the King Sunday, which, in terms of the Church calendar, is the culmination of the Easter season where Christ gave his life for the world on the cross and proved his victory over death in his resurrection, as well as the culmination of the day of Pentecost where Christ poured out his Spirit on the Church, equipping them to minister and share the good news of Easter with the whole world. This Sunday is a celebration of Christ as the world's one true and worthy king, who reigns in glory and is redeeming the world from sin and decay. This a celebration the Church is to live out in every aspect of their lives, as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. I gave the sermon at my congregation, Epiphany Anglican Mission. What follows is an essay version of that sermon and the Scriptures quoted from the passages we read aloud together.