A few weeks ago a congregation of more than 300 gathered for a church service in Germany – with a twist. The service was AI-generated; the sermon was written by ChatGPT, and delivered by a virtual avatar. Of course, a computer can’t do anything on its own: 29 year-old theologian Jonas Simmerlein from the University
Years ago I was driving through a rural area when I came upon a country church. I don’t recall the name of the church, but it sounded good – perhaps something like “Grace Bible Church.” As a pastor of a church in a town less than an hour away, I wondered if this church and
On every hand the foe we find, drawn up in dread array; Let tents of ease be left behind, and onward to the fray! Salvation’s helmet on each head, with truth all girt about, The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread, and echo with our shout. Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! Oh,
Vitamins are a wonder of God’s creation – organic compounds which are essential for our normal physical growth and nutrition. Most people can get the vitamins they need by maintaining a healthy diet. B vitamins (there are eight of them) are particularly important; they help our bodies get or make energy from the food we
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61.1-2 At the end of another year – how quickly this one has flown by! – we look
Haul out the holly Put up the tree before my spirit falls again Fill up the stocking I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute… American composer and lyricist Jerry Herman passed away three years ago this month, leaving behind many memorable
“For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” ~ Jesus before Pilate “What is truth?” ~ Pilate before turning over Jesus to be crucified Last month, the federal government announced the creation of a
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1.27 In his classic Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis famously described a lunatic as “on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg.” In my wife’s nurses’ training,
One of the truisms in pastoral ministry is that ‘politics and religion don’t mix.’ The meaning of that axiom, while poorly worded, is this: The heart of our message to the world is based in the gospel, not politics. That gospel contains ‘bad news’ (which is about us) and ‘good news’ (which is about God).
After listing some of the great heroes of faith from the Old Testament in Hebrews 11, the author of this grand New Testament epistle begins the twelfth chapter with these words: Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so
