Rick Nier...Woo!

If I told you that you needed to trust in God, you might assume that you already do. After all, you've went to church, or at least you did before a global pandemic hit our planet. Now you watch church and you're doing your best to balance the realities of our new normal with the lessons on trust you remember from your past. After all, God never said you shouldn't go see a doctor, and I'm not advocating that you only practice home healthcare.  But considering all the many amenities available to us, even during a worldwide crisis, it's fair to ask ourselves if we're living lives of trust or simply living with enough less to differentiate ourselves from those gluttonous monsters who never acknowledge God.  Do We Really Want to Compare? If comparisons are your game, let's play this game we can't possibly hope to win. Would you spend 100 years of your life building a boat in preparation for a worldwide flood? Never mind that Noah had previously never heard of...

God is so much higher than we are, we can't even comprehend the difference. This very thought should lead us to worship a God who is incomprehensibly greater than us. Rather, it too often leads us to scoff. We attempt to make God in our own image, instead of the other way around. This is why Jesus was without honor in Mark 6. Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. ~Mark 6:1-3 Verse 2 says they were amazed, and then in verse 2b the people attempt to bring Jesus back down to Earth. Do you see this? This isn't a little bit later in the stor...

I want to remind us what Church can look like, by viewing a few different examples of the early Church in the book of Acts. Before Paul was standing before Festus, a group of people were making a name for themselves, living out their mission, sometimes in ways that look very differently than anything we would be comfortable with. As we glimpse at these truths, it will be up to each one of us to decide what we will do. And my hope is that if we, like the crowd in Acts 2, ask 'what shall we do?', then we'll be quick to respond as well. For when Peter told that crowd they should repent and be baptized, they did, and 3,000 people were added to the Church that day. Point 1 - We should never shy away from the Truth. Tell the Truth In Acts 3, Peter and John are heading to a prayer service (something Rick Hurley is wishing more people would do) and they run into this guy who was totally lame. I mean, really uncool. Just kidding, the guy couldn’t walk. So Peter heals him in the name...

I got the privilege of preaching this past Sunday. This was just the intro...if you like it, I may post more of it later this week.  Do you want to hear one of the saddest verses in all the Bible? Let me tell you a story. Paul had been arrested for preaching Jesus and he is being tossed from one court to another as Roman judges spent their time coaxing one another's egos and skirting around justice by passing the question of what to do with Paul on to each other. In Acts 25, we find Paul standing trial before Festus, who is planning to pass him along to Caesar. Before he does, King Agrippa comes along and they discuss Paul's case. Festus admits that Paul's case has to do with religion. 17 “When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. 18 But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected.19 Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul ...

I used Psalm 42:1-2 as a call to worship yesterday, but as I said then, it wasn't the whole story. The first 2 verses might seem like a nice scripture to put on a pillow, or a painting with a deer in a forest, to simply indicate we love being with God. But if you read the rest of Psalm 42, this is written by a guy who has felt abandoned by God and longs desperately to be in His presence. Better than picturing a deer, peacefully roaming the forest, we might rather picture a critically wounded person reaching out for one last grasp towards life. He recalls a time when he was happy, singing praises to God. He was with all of his people, singing, dancing and generally having a great time. Now, in verse 5, he asks his soul 'why are you so downcast?' One can almost hear the painful mock, as he knows why he is disturbed. Unlike many who abandon any hope to be found in God, this guy reminds himself that hope is eternally to be placed in God. Though the times are tough, a...

The Atonement of God; Building Your Theology on a Crucivision of God is the latest book I have read. Written by J.D. Myers, it is about a new way to view the crucifixion of Christ, which Myers argues is actually a very old way to view things. Starting out by arguing why the Penal Substitution theory is incomplete, Myers presents to us the Nonviolent view of atonement. For the sake of space here, I will drastically over simplify things this way; the nonviolent view of atonement says that God did not will Jesus to the cross, but we humans did. God then used the sacrifice to defeat sin and death, but apparently this was not necessary for forgiveness, since God had already given us that. The theory is needed, of course, to help us make sense of a God who is love but also demands justice. At least, this is what J.D. Myers argues.  The book is set up with alternative views of the atonement, with some discussions, some very important discussions, left out, ostensibly for other book...

I'm a youth pastor. Oh I can gloss it up. I could tell you I'm an Associate Pastor. I could go on about how I have other responsibilities that make me more than what my calling would have you believe. But I'm a youth pastor. And most days I'm perfectly fine with that. After all, it is a calling and it's something I love. But one thing I no longer even try to deceive myself about is that people are listening to me. I give announcements at youth group about items which teens will ask about later, as if I've never spoken. I'll share ideas with big people (you call them adults) and their eyes will glaze over while they wonder what the senior pastor thinks. I preach and often wonder what, if anything, people hear. With all this ignoring going on, you might ask why I blog. Oh, another day, people, another day. Despite this, I continue to convey truth, even if nobody hears me. I'm a youth pastor. I'm a dad. For anyone that has been even a little...

What do we expect? I mean, what do we  really  expect? I was looking at this info-graphic recently. You can click on the image if you want to expand it. Go ahead, I'll wait.  In it they show how very little even Evangelical Protestants agree with what has historically been perceived as absolute truth. Perhaps you've seen and read info-graphics like this before. Sadly, I can't say I was surprised by most of the numbers. What did catch my eye was the statistic that showed only 47% of Christians strongly agree that Heaven is a real place. While it is disturbing to actually consider that half of all Christians don't actually believe Jesus is preparing a place for us, did you catch the wording? Strongly agree? This tells me the question was: Do you believe in heaven? And the possible answers were; Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree. I'm going to go ahead and assume Neutral was a possible response to keep survey-takers happy. ...

I don't recall the sermon, or even the point of the sermon (which makes me exactly like most people who listen to my sermons), but I remember what happened afterward. In that particular sermon I had included a story about David, the mighty King David, being a murderer and an adulterer. I came off the stage to my own children, Jacie and Luke, who were in shock. "King David murdered a person!?!" Yeah, I would have loved to have some extra company over that day for lunch. Sitting over a crock pot of yummy Sunday warmth, while explaining to my kids how David, the man after God’s own heart, had eyes that wandered and had blood on his hands. Can you pass the carrots? This isn't a rant about how we do children's church, because the Bible is so full of stories, I won't apologize that many stories focus on the positives of God and the people who follow Him. But my kids had somehow slipped by learning of David the lusting murderer. This happens easily enough with teac...

When teens tell me that profane lyrics don't matter, I scoff. They say they can't understand them, since of course they neglected to see the explicit label when they purchased the song or have no reason to ever consider what these singers are talking about. Or, as one of my fave youth ministry gurus, Jonathan McKee , like to point out, teens see the absence of an explicit label and assume it must be all good. Besides, they only like the beat. I just roll my eyes. If lyrics don't matter, then all these thug rappers could be singing about lessons they picked up from watching Barney the purple dinosaur, right? If lyrics don't matter, then rockers could just as well be singing about good times they had while on the swing set. If the only thing that matters is the beat, then why do singers feel like a message they feel passionate about is so important to communicate? Lyrics do matter. They tell us what the singer cares about. It reveals where their passions lie. But let'...

So recently West Virginia had an issue with their water. Who knew that mixing chemicals in would make it dangerous to drink, right? It was a big issue, but one that people took seriously and, at least for most people, has been solved. I found this quote from an article that intrigued me. " West Virginia American Water president Jeff McIntyre reiterated on Monday that the water was safe, underscoring his point by  drinking tap water  in front of reporters."  That, my friends, is applying truth to action. It also made me question my own ability to apply truth to life. Let me explain. Recently, at a church potluck, the fun was followed by sickness. Now, as a germaphobe, don't even get me started on how the church is a breeding ground for illness anyway, with all the hand shaking and hugging and laying on of hands. As a pastor, I just trust that friendliness and spiritual practice is more important than the threat of getting ill. Plus, I assume either God is protect...

I'm teaching my kids the Lord's Prayer. It leads to some fun conversations. We're purposely taking our time discussing the different aspects of this prayer. How it begins is interesting. Our Father in Heaven Hallowed be Your Name I want them to really own this prayer. Too many of us only know this as the prayer we say during a service. Depending on your tradition, you say it during communion, after the pastor prays or some other set period of time. But Jesus wasn't giving us something we could all say in unison. So we read the prayer. Then I asked them to imagine to use their imaginations, much like I want you to do now. Imagine I invited you to my home. Upon entering, you saw that I had a giant picture of myself placed prominently in the living room. As you might guess, it's a glamour shot. Once you came in, I also told you there was one house rule. It was simple. I rule. Oh, and you should tell me I rule. (In case you're wondering, I am using the 80's ve...

My family passed a field of crosses, each one representing four lives that have been taken in our county since 1972. My kids asked. Inside, my heart sunk. Innocence was about to be broken once more.  You know about that, right? When you have to first tell your kids that mean people exist. When you have to confess that even you aren't perfect. When you tell them that death happens. That crime happens. Why flags are sometimes flown at half-staff.  A little more of their innocence is chipped away from the beautiful sculptures that they once represented. You wonder where jaded people come from? They are made by parents having to tell children about sin.  In this case, the sin was abortion. As we explained to our kids that sometimes fear, sometimes confusion and sometimes a lack of love, cause people to kill babies. Tears filled my eyes, even as I drove, as my 3 children spilled with questions and contempt for anyone who could think that killing a baby was okay. ...

Here is part of something I talked to my teens about this week. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ~Mark 10:42-45.  Jesus points to a secular model and how those in charge let it go to their heads. But He says this is not the model for what He is doing. In the Church, the servants will be the greatest. Jesus puts an exclamation point on it all by saying that even He came to be a servant and to give up His life. This is foreign to our thinking. A King comes to conquer and live as long as possible. A King does not come to die. You can’t rule if you’re dead. You can’t be awesome if you’r...

I'm teaching at a camp this week. But why should my absence leave you lonely out here in the internet wilderness? I'm giving you pieces of my camp talks this week. As you read through them, you can either dream of being at the camp, soaking in extended cuts. Or you can pray that the campers aren't suffering too much. Your choice. Night One - God is Big! Genesis 1:1 -  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The marvel of this verse is that ‘heavens’ refers to all of the rest of this great big universe. So it is remarkable to think that in verse 1, God would list that He made the great big universe and secondly, the Earth. It is also remarkable that the focus then turns to the Earth and what He does here. So let’s talk about the earth and the universe it is in. I’ve already mentioned a bit about distances. Let’s talk about the size of the Earth. The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24,901 miles. We often think about how big Earth is. A...

I'm sure, as a tireless student of my blog, that you have noticed certain thing about my blog here. I don't normally shout out my personal church or denomination. I also tend to stray from the controversial topics that plague our society. One of the reasons is my desire to not be constantly part of the drama. But the bigger reason is my belief that, in most cases, a final answer has not yet been heard.  Jesus has declared Truth and I believe that is final. But in our world we see so many voices jump to conclusions on one day and then recant the following day. I want to be a level headed voice amidst the noise.  Having said all that, I'm going to link you to a page by the leaders of the denomination to which I belong. Oh, and they are responding to very current and very controversial issues, namely, the Defense of Marriage.  Here you go. Woo!

Leadership Magazine sends me emails with stories for sermon illustrations. If you go to my church, you may hear this one again someday, but I couldn't resist making the connection between authenticity and significance for all my fan here. Check it out. A town in Northern Ireland spent a lot of time, effort, and money sprucing up its image for the arrival of some special guests. On June 17-18, 2013 the world's eight most powerful leaders gathered in the town of Enniskillen, Ireland for the G8 summit. In preparation for the special guests, which included President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the town put up fake storefronts on shuttered businesses. Dan Keenan, a reporter for the  Irish Times , reports that the image-conscious village leaders "filled the shop front window with a picture of what was the business before it went  bankrupt  or closed." In other words,  grocery shops , butcher shops, pharmacies,...

We are divided over so many dumb things. I think The Office is still funny. I know many who think the show died once Steve Carell left. And if I so desired, i could find a thread somewhere where we could argue over this forever, all the while degrading one another's intelligence. It matters that much. Or we could discuss our need to divide over many others things in fandom. If I root for one sports team, it necessarily means the fans of the opposing team are morons. Men vs Women, Star Wars vs Star Trek, DC vs Marvel, PC vs Mac, Catholic vs Protestant, Republican vs Democrat, Alien vs Predator. Okay, clearly some of those are more important than others. But the point is that we seem to enjoy drawing up the battle lines and standing divided. It's kind of stupid really, but acknowledging our penchant to divide doesn't automatically bring us together. It's merely one more way of noticing our differences and trying to decide who is better at..well, anything. For Christians, ...

This high profile bloggers says one thing. That high profile blogger says another. But what are we (including me, the non-high profile blogger) supposed to think? Every once in a while, my kids and I will have the same thought at the same time. You can accuse me of thinking like a child all you want, but I believe this is a direct result of great teaching, from me to them. Anyways, we may end up saying the same thing at the same time. This inevitably leads them to declare that great minds think alike. Whenever I hear this, my memory recalls my college Saturdays when I, of course, was watching One Saturday Morning on ABC. It was a collection of cartoons and shorts, one which included the Genie from Aladdin. Still voiced by Robin Williams, someone would spout some common thinking with the adage that 'great minds think alike.' Then the Genie would appear and declare, 'No, great minds think for themselves!' I couldn't agree more. We come across so many ideas an...

It's a regular day at work. You're cruising through your normal sources for the latest in news, Facebook, Twitter and various blogs. One does have to wonder how much more we might accomplish if it weren't for sites like these. But I digress. You're scrolling through for news when you come across a picture linked to a story. Possibly about a missing dog belonging to a veteran or a spider that eats dogs. But the story that really gets you is the one warning of impending changes in the law that will force us all to have chips implanted in our hands. Share. Like. Retweet. Off the story goes. A comment here, indignation there and the fears are spread. It only really gets my attention when someone warns of impending doom to my Facebook account, because of recent changes made that will cause all of us to unwillingly share our favorite colors and our first dog's name. All we have to do to stop the madness is change all of our settings and share it with everyone. The real ...