In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, I want to talk about Creation. Creation was good. We find a declaration of goodness at the end of each day of creation, with the strange exception of day two, after separating the waters above and below the firmament. However, the work of day six was declared…
What does Easter mean? In most countries, the name for Easter is derived from the Aramaic word for Passover, because the Jewish Passover festival was celebrated at the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In French it is Paques; in Spanish, Pascua, and in Italian, Pasqua. Though there are competing theories, it is now widely believed that the…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA It is commonly accepted among biblical scholars that when Paul is bemoaning his internal struggle with sin in Romans chapter 7, he is actually taking on the voice of a character. He is not speaking as himself. This was a common rhetorical technique in the ancient…
[The following article was taken from www.catholic.org/saints/] Saint Valentine, officially known as Saint Valentine of Rome, is a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and commonly associated with “courtly love.” Although not much of St. Valentine’s life is reliably known, and whether or not the stories involve two different saints by the…
No, this isn’t some future dystopian headline; it’s actually a part of US history! This blog article is long overdue. Christmas Day may be over, but as we are still in the early days of the Christmas season, it is totally appropriate to have a Christmas article. Except that this isn’t an article. It’s a…
Wisdom is one of the most highly sought out attributes in the ancient world. King Solomon was so famous for his wisdom that the Queen of Sheba visited him to see if the reports were true. The Proverbs is an entire book of the Bible dedicated to wise sayings. Many people throughout history have gone…
Who do you support in the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza? Misunderstanding and misinformation about this complicated subject abound. One’s position doesn’t necessarily align with the normal right-left dichotomy in US politics. If anything, the larger divide seems to be between the older generations who recognize the need for a Jewish…
Many people think that if you believe a certain biblical truth, then that leads to a particular political belief. The fact is that is rarely true. That is why there are Christians with genuine faith who disagree on every political position under the sun. For example, the 10 Commandments say not to murder, and yet…
If you are like most Christians, you struggle with trouble. What do I mean? I mean someone tells you they just got diagnosed with cancer, or they lost their job, or any other significant unpleasantness. What do we so often turn to? Some Christian-sounding half-true bromide, like, “trust in Jesus and everything will work out.”…
It is not uncommon to hear the complaint by non-Christians that the Bible is offensive. We who believe shouldn’t dismiss this. There are places in the Bible (mostly, but not exclusively in the Old Testament) where what appears to be held up as good offends modern sensibilities. Everything from sexism to slavery to genocide appears…
Jesus famously said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). That’s a tall order! But it doesn’t mean “perfect” in the way we think of the word, to be without imperfections. It has more to do with fulfilling our purpose. And by looking at the wider context of this statement, it’s…
What is Juneteenth, and Why Should Christians Care? “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” -Jesus (John 10:10). President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on 1 January, 1863, which declared all slaves in Confederate States “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” It took two more years of fighting before…
Epworth Affiliated Epworth Chapel has officially affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. What does that mean? I’m glad you asked! First, a little history lesson. As originally conceived, Epworth was going to be a Nazarene church, but the District Superintendent at the time wasn’t interested in having a liturgical Nazarene church (now College Church, a…
I have often asked myself, where does my biblical worldview end and my culture begin? Am I guilty of reading into the biblical text ideas that are actually based in American culture or conservative politics? These questions are important to wrestle with for a few reasons. First, all who claim to follow Christ want to…
Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, stems from two distinct Christian doctrines that developed their own ways of celebrating this day. For some, Holy Saturday is the day on which Jesus “rested” from His redemptive work. As Jesus died on the cross, his cry of “It is finished”, signified the completion…
Lament is not a popular topic in the US, even among most Christians. It feels like when we are to proclaim the good news that Jesus has freed us from sin and death, there shouldn’t be any room for bad news. However, that is an overly simplistic theology. While we are living in the time…
As we celebrate the transfiguration of Christ that took place as He prepared to die on the cross, this event raises a lot of questions. What are the implications of Jesus being joined by Moses and Elijah for our understanding of what happens when we die? How does this fit with the doctrine of “the…
The following article appears on the website for the Diocese of the Carolinas of the Anglican Church in North America (https://adoc.church/the-allure-of-liturgy-for-a-new-generation-winfield-befins/). This article was written by Dr. Winfield Bevins, the new Director of Church Planting at Asbury Theological Seminary, and Canon for Church Planting for the Diocese of the Carolinas. The material below is from…
The other day, one of my sons asked, “Why did Mary Magdalene follow Jesus, but she wasn’t one of the disciples?” He was referring to the depiction of Jesus and the disciples in The Chosen, where Mary and other women are very much part of the traveling group that served with Jesus, but she was…
My congregation just completed another year’s involvement in the Angel Tree program, giving Christmas gifts to children of an incarcerated parent. In my several years of involvement with Angel Tree it seems that inmate families are almost always poor. That raises the question: Do they break the law because they are poor, or are they…
The following article was written by Fr. Paul Scalia, published on November 27th, 2022 on the website www.thecatholicthing.org. The picture is Our Lord Jesus Christ by James Tissot, c. 1890 [Brooklyn Museum] The Lord of History Fr. Paul D. Scalia The so-called Respect for Marriage Act has pushed the issue of gay marriage back into…
To Our Epworth Family, How do we begin to say “thank you” for the wonderful privilege it has been to serve with all of you for more than two decades? I am also grateful to the original Epworthies who supported me and my family and who are no longer with us, and to all of…
In case you are wondering what All Saints Day is all about, here is an updated version of a previous blog explainer: Every December, the secular and cultural celebration of Christmas overshadows the religious holiday on which it is based. Essentially the same thing happens at the end of October, when the way American culture celebrates…
Harvest Festival will be celebrated at Epworth following the Sunday service on October 9th, 2022. While the Anglican tradition of holding harvest festivals dates back to 1843, Epworth has held one each October starting in 2004. Harvest Festival is both a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision, and of generosity because we recognize that human…
Read the original article Love God, Care for Creation “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your…
What is the “dividing line” in our society? If you were to turn on your tv or radio for any length of time, you would probably get the impression that politics is the dividing line. Left vs right or Republican vs Democrat. There’s also racial dividing lines, socio-economic dividing lines, and generational dividing lines that…
Let’s be honest; if you’re like me, your gut reaction to the Ten Commandments is here is a reminder of what we are supposed to do or not do, which is also a reminder of how far I fall short on a regular basis. While the Ten Commandments does show us how we are utterly…
This photo by unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind” (1 Samuel 15:29). This is how most of us think about God. We praise His “eternal changelessness”. But…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Why does it matter if we listen to a variety of perspectives about God? Theology is theology, right? This seems right, doesn’t it? Why would a women theologian understand God any differently than a male theologian, or an African American theologian see things differently…
I get it; you’re busy. You have your job, you have family demands that can’t wait, and a list of chores as long as your arm. I’m right there with you. These are all urgent demands on your time. Who has time to go to church on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Holy Week?…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Being “woke” is a popular concept that has come to stand for any number of generally politically progressive ideas. It’s origin, and core, however, have to do with racial justice. How should Christians react to the “woke” mantra? The knee-jerk reaction for many may…
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is on everyone’s mind these days. Opinions are a dime a dozen. But how should Christians respond to war? What can the Bible tell us? War, as state-sanctioned violence for specific purposes, has been viewed differently throughout Christian history. Pacifism has always been a strong tendency (“you shall not murder*”…
“Lent, the liturgical year shows us, is about the holiness that suffering can bring. It is about bringing good where evil has been, about bringing love where hate has been. It is about the transformation of the base to the beautiful” (The Liturgical Year, 125). Let’s be honest—we aren’t fans of suffering. We prefer a…
To get stronger takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight. There are a lot of similarities with growing in Christ. What is the hardest thing about being a Christian? In my experience, there are two answers, both equally difficult. The first is evangelizing, often called “witnessing”. The other is disciplining.…
Religious philosophy can lead one through logical deduction to the conclusion that belief in religion is the best choice. Along those lines, 17th century mathematician Blaise Pascal is best known today for what is called “Pascal’s wager”, where he argued that belief in God is logical because we have far more to gain by believing…
Pastor Timothy Keller is a leading example of how faithful Christians should stand apart from the world even as we seek to transform it for God’s kingdom. What follows are two short excerpts from his Facebook page that seem appropriate for believers, and bear repeating: A Warning Against Online Mockery God sometimes mocks (Ps…
Pictured: The Valley of Gehenna today Part 3: Gehenna It is with a sense of irony that we finish our 3-part study on the biblical understanding of Hell shortly before Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. With All Saints’ Day being November 1st, one could argue it would be more appropriate to study the biblical…
Part 2: Hades The last article discussed the use of sheol in the Old Testament. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint) translates sheol with the Greek word Hades. Obviously, the intended meaning of the word doesn’t change with the translation, so whatever particular meaning we derived in the last article regarding sheol…
Part 1: Sheol Sheol is the Old Testament Hebrew word for death or the underworld. The word sheol appears 63 times, with the vast majority of those being in Psalms, Isaiah, Proverbs, and Job. Trying to figure out what the various Old Testament writers believed about sheol is complicated to say the least. How sheol…
The following article was written by Philip Kosloski and published on https://aleteia.org on 17 December 2017: Each color has a unique meaning that points beyond itself. Throughout the Church’s liturgical year, priests wear several different color vestments. The colors are not arbitrary, but reflect a deeper meaning that is meant to point us to a…
We recite the Ten Commandments every Sunday at Epworth, so we clearly think they are important, but how do we apply them to our lives today? For example, do we keep the Sabbath holy in a different way today because part of Sabbath restrictions were cultural for Israel, or do we not keep the Sabbath…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA On occasion, some may wonder why the sermons at Epworth are always based on one (or more) of the assigned readings from the lectionary. Why not let the Minister choose the texts for preaching? Or why not preach sequentially through the Bible or various books…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Here we are at the end of Pride Month, which the Church as a whole largely ignores, but because it is something the rest of society acknowledges, it seems appropriate to address it here. Dealing with the issue of homosexuality in a biblically accurate…
Epworth recently laid to rest one of its faithful saints: Sally Reid. Her ashes were placed in the Epworth Memorial Garden, alongside the remains of others who have gone before us. They are the Church Victorious; we are the Church Militant. One day we will all be reunited. Occasions like this cannot help but raise…
The following was produced by Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications: Aldersgate Day is celebrated on May 24 (or the Sunday closest) to commemorate the day in 1738 when John Wesley experienced assurance of his salvation. Wesley reluctantly attended a group meeting that evening on Aldersgate Street in London. As he heard…
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). When reading this verse, some people conjure up images of soldiers in a foxhole. A hero who jumps on a grenade to save his squad exemplifies the literal sense of this verse. To no lesser an extent, so…
“God wants me to be happy, right?” We’ve probably all heard this question asked. The assumed answer is “yes,” but in reality, it’s more complicated than that. God doesn’t want us to be unhappy, but our happiness is somewhat low on the list. What He wants is for us to be holy, meaning like Him…
Which is more important: The resurrection of Jesus or the decisions of our political leaders? Another way to look at it is, Does it matter more to you that Jesus rose from the dead, or that we have an immigration policy in our country with which you agree? These should be very easy to answer,…
Most people in our society have certain beliefs that are simply absorbed without questioning. These beliefs didn’t arise out of thin air; they were written in previous decades or even hundreds of years ago by authors few of us have read. In particular, Jean-Jacques Rousseau has impacted 21st Century American thinking in vital and dangerous…
What is Lent? From Old English word “lengthen” which means “Spring” By 2nd century the word was used to describe a period of individual fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter In the first 3 centuries, only catechumens (those being trained and instructed in the faith) observed this period, which lasted usually 2-3 days.…
The United States was founded in the name of freedom, but do we really understand freedom? Freedom is typically understood as being exempt from external control or restraint. If only it were that simple! In his sermon on January 31st, Pastor Brook Thelander said, “freedom comes through the community of faith.” Rousseau and the other…
My boys love to call each other out by loudly declaring, “lying!” Truth is very important to them, though of course, it often tends to be their version of the “truth” that serves their benefit. From a biological standpoint, this makes perfect sense. Aren’t we supposed to engage in behaviors that benefit us, like getting…
My family has the tradition of breaking out our collection of Christmas DVDs after every Thanksgiving. These range from classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Christmas Story, to more recent “classics” such as The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf and Arthur Christmas. These are lots of fun and…
This is a service of scripture readings and carol singing. The lessons are drawn from the Old Testament with one or two readings from the New Testament. They reinforce the message that the Messiah is coming. The music, as well as the lessons, should reflect Advent and a note of expectation rather than Christmas and…
We are not good at waiting. In 21st Century America, we want all of it, and we want it now. And thanks to smart phones and credit cards, we have come to expect instant gratification more than ever. Some things are worth waiting for, however. The birth of our Savior is one of those things.…
Used with permission. The following was written by Amelia Cleveland-Traylor, Co-Superintendent of the Free Methodist Church River Conference, as part of the River Conference newsletter. There have been a couple of times in my life I have been in extreme darkness. In 1992, my husband and I were a part of tour group that hiked…
We are more isolated today than ever. No, I’m not referring to COVID. We were already isolated before the pandemic. It takes time and effort to resist the isolating trends in our society. Now COVID is likely to solidify habits of isolation. Resisting this trend is especially difficult for those of us who are introverts,…
Did you miss Michaelmas this year? Haven’t even heard of Michaelmas? Well, you’re not alone. It’s a Christian celebration in Britain, with quite a few non-religious traditions added over time; sort of like Christmas and Easter. To learn what you missed, go to: https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Michaelmas/
I’m going to hurt you. Not intentionally, mind you, but through my carelessness and imperfect words or actions, at some point you will likely feel hurt by me. And you will almost certainly hurt me. This is a fact of life together in a sinful world. It doesn’t matter if we are biological family, family…
Let’s be honest. We all get things wrong some times. The more firmly we believe something is true, the harder it is to let go, even if we learn it is false. We are also typically quite busy, and intellectually lazy, meaning we prefer not to spend too much mental energy evaluating ideas—we go with…
We live in a culture that says attention equals power. This power is a scarce resource for which we must compete. Welcome to the world of social media, where anyone can post content or curate a self-image for the world’s purview. It’s one thing to seek attention online, but it doesn’t stop there. Attention-getting has…
July is a time when we celebrate our freedom in America. For those of a more reflective bent, it could raise some questions, such as, Are we really free? How could we be more free? And even, What is freedom? By starting with the last question first, it will enlighten the others. Many might assume…
Christians often quote scripture to give their decisions a sort of godly approval. While there is nothing inherently wrong in this, we must be very cautious, when it is so easy to accidentally misuse Scripture. When that happens, one is misinterpreting God’s word to support what they want to do, when he or she would…
I lament that we fear those who look different from us. I lament that African-American mothers fear for the safety of their children. I lament the historic and pervasive mistreatment of people of color by the police. I lament that we are here again. I lament that we so completely fail to love our neighbors…
Starting shortly after the Civil War, Memorial Day has been a day to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. We just observed Memorial Day 2020 on Monday, May 25th. While many families set some time aside on Memorial Day to visit the graves of loved ones, there is…
Dogs shed hair. It’s a fact of life. They can’t help it. Much to the dismay of allergy sufferers, plants and trees shed pollen—especially this time of year. People shed too. What we shed, however, is the question. In this time of staying at home due to COVID-19, we may think of shedding disease. Everywhere…
While many churches recognize Good Friday and Maundy Thursday, an ancient tradition dating back to the early Church has been largely lost. That is, “The Great Three Days”. The Great Three Days are the holiest of times in the Christian calendar and could even be considered the point from which the rest of the year…
(written by Christina Embree on behalf of the Asbury Theological Seminary Staff Council; reposted from the Asbury Seminary website) I’ll never forget my first experience with Lent. I grew up in a home where we didn’t really celebrate Lent. I had never experienced an Ash Wednesday service and had no idea that entire swaths of Christendom…
Epworth will celebrate Ash Wednesday on February 26th, with a brief service at 7:00 pm. Ash Wednesday is an ancient tradition of the Christian Church, likely dating back to the 1st or 2nd century, but not formally recognized until the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. Of course, the growth in recognition of…
Epworth had its beginning on Superbowl Sunday, 1999. As a result, we consider Superbowl Sunday as our unofficial anniversary. This year it was also Groundhog Day and Candlemas, which is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord. Forty days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple for…
The day after Thanksgiving yields a joy of three parts. The first joy is that of an introvert newly restored to peace and quiet after the raucous hubbub of last night’s family dinner. The second is the simple pleasure of pie for breakfast. The third joy is the renewal of my annual re-reading of The…
On Sunday, January 5th, Epworth celebrated the revealing of the Messiah to the world, which is generally associated with the arrival of the 3 wise men, or Jesus’ baptism. Not only did the service remind the congregation of these events, and their importance to us today, but immediately following the service was a lunch,…
By Greg Goebel Almost everyone seems to feel the letdown after Christmas Day. After six weeks of singing Christmas carols, shopping, and partying, it all comes to a grinding halt at 8:30 am on Christmas morning. Another year till next Christmas. And as much as people complain about commercialization and hectic holidays, etc., we still…
One of the glories of the Advent experience at Epworth is our annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols. This candlelight service which was held on Sunday, December 8th, included scripture lessons and hymns that lead us from the Old Testament prophets to the birth of Christ. This service is one way in which we…
Below is the proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln that established a national day of Thanksgiving. Prior to this, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holiday at different times, mainly in New England and other Northern states. The Thanksgiving proclamation established a national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the…
Several Epworthies participated in this year’s Rake Up Boise effort on Saturday, November 9th. The weather was perfect for raking! We met at the church and ate doughnuts to carbo-load before getting a few hours of exercise. Like most years, Epworth signed up for two homes. The residents were very grateful for the help. Some…
As we prepare to celebrate All Saints Day on Sunday, perhaps some of you have wondered at some point: What’s it all about, anyway? The following may prove helpful: Every December, the secular, cultural celebration of Christmas overshadows the religious holiday on which it is based. Essentially the same thing happens at the end of…
Epworth held its annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 13th this year. It is a time to recognize our many blessings from Christ, which prompts generosity to others as our proper response. Harvest Festival is an Anglican tradition dating back to 1843, and has been an annual celebration at Epworth for years. Epworthies celebrate Harvest…
Recently I was teaching my history students about early monks and ascetics. Unsurprisingly, they reacted to the details of St. Anthony’s and St. Symeon’s lives rather strongly. My 21st century teenagers find the idea of strict ascetic practices very off-putting. I really don’t blame them, although I hope to sway their perspective. In our modern…
As the school year began, Pastor John and his boys (Josiah, Stephen, and Asher) delivered much-needed school supplies to Koelsch Elementary. This has been an annual effort by Epworthies for many years, donating everything from paper and pencils to Kleenex and backpacks. The cost of buying school supplies can be daunting for many local parents,…
For several weeks this summer Epworth was blessed to have a Mandela Washington Fellowship recipient visiting our congregation. Fleurot Raharilala was one of the 100+ up-and-coming African leaders recognized by this State Department program that offers training on US college campuses around the country to further the skills of these remarkable young people. Fleurot teaches…
The Epworth stained glass windows were all designed and constructed by artist Carolyn Houts Gilbert. On the completion of the project Epworth held a celebration and dedication service. On that occasion Gilbert said, “The thing I most want you to know about my involvement in this window replacement project is that I wanted to do…
As children of a creative God, we are most like our heavenly Father when we develop the creativity with which He has gifted us. This creativity is nurtured in many ways at Epworth Chapel on the Green, through our music, public reading, book and poetry groups, sharing our cooking and gardening, and in the art…
A quiet Place for Meditation A recent family who visited Epworth from our neighborhood said they came because their eight-year-old daughter liked to sit in our garden. We couldn’t have been more thrilled. That is exactly what we hoped to offer to our community when we developed the garden. In our world of noise and…