I don’t have to tell you that in life we go through all kinds of seasons; seasons of preparing, seasons of celebration, seasons of difficulty, and seasons of sadness. If we experience such variety in life, why shouldn’t our worship experiences acknowledge and provide language for each of these? The typical worship experience in America…
Another election is upon us, and it feels like all Hades has broken loose. Some people, even Christians, seem like they are near panic. And it’s no wonder, when the rhetoric on both sides is essentially making the case that our democracy is over if the other side wins. I suggest we take a deep…
‘Wesley Is Fire Now’ and Evangelicals Are Being Strangely Warmed By Clayton Sidenbender This article (including picture) was originally published by Christianity Today on 17 September, 2024. What follows is an abridged version. For the full article, use the link below: ‘Wesley Is Fire Now’ and Evangelicals Are Being Strangely Warmed – Christianity Today Shawn…
Did God Intervene to Save Trump’s Life? This is not a political question, but a theological one. And if you are looking for solid answers, this short article will disappoint. All I can do is raise more questions to help you draw your own conclusions. Those who speak with certainty here are acting foolishly (or…
What is Open Communion At Epworth? In an effort to determine who can receive communion, we have several sources to consider. First, of course, is scripture. Next (in my opinion) is the Church fathers and Church tradition. After that we can look at the founder of the Wesleyan movement, John Wesley, as well as others…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND Epworth Chapel has a long history of praying for healing. Truly miraculous healings have even occurred for some people after receiving prayer. Of course, Jesus healed many people during His earthly ministry. So did the disciples. Miraculous healings occur regularly around the world to this day.…
Acts 2:4 says that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost, they “began to speak with other tongues”. This may seem like an odd, and possibly unnecessary miracle, but I believe it served a very specific purpose. And that purpose was not strictly so that the Hellenistic Jews from other lands who…
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…