New England Perspectives
A regularly updated collection of articles written by New England leaders and thinkers. Looking for news articles? Click here.
The Theology of Purple Dinosaurs
A pastor in Tennessee posted the following “proof” online that Barney the Purple Dinosaur is really the Antichrist. He explained that you first must start with the statement “cute purple dinosaur”. You then have to change every letter U in the phrase into the letter V, which is actually the proper Latin anyway. Then you have to take away all the letters in the sentence that are also Roman numerals. What you have left are the letters CVVLDIV. If you then convert those letters into Arabic numbers and subtract them from each other, you end up with the number 666, which is the sign of the Antichrist. There you have it, according to that pastor, positive proof that Barney the Purple Dinosaur is the Antichrist.
The Gift of Time
I have a big extended family. Both sets of grandparents had six kids, plus some adopted kids, and just about all of those kids had three or more kids, and so on. Family reunions were massive affairs. We are a family spread all over the globe (many are missionaries), and we are a family that likes to get together as frequently as possible.
Pastoring through an Election Year
This year no doubt will be filled with a perpetual barrage of politics. From Super Tuesday to November 5th, our church people will be bombarded with political ads, phone calls, news segments, and presidential debates. As pastors, how do we pastor through a year like this?
Wisdom Keeps Our Thinking Clear
A minister was using a flashlight as a visual aid to teach the children’s sermon one morning during church. He had filled the flashlight with little pieces of useless junk and of course the light would not turn on. As he took the junk out and inserted two batteries, he came to the climax of his story and declared “When we take the junk out of our lives and put Jesus in, then we become the Light of the World.” And with a grand flourish he flipped the button on the flashlight expecting it to come on. To his great shock, the light did not come on.
Christian Marriage in Today’s Culture
Living together outside of marriage is now accepted by most Protestants and Catholics. According to “Cohabitation Among Evangelicals: A New Norm?,” an April 2021 report by the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), most evangelicals under 45 have either cohabited, plan to do so in the future, or are open to the possibility.
2 Great Books to Start The New Year
January is a natural time to pause, reflect on life, and evaluate what is most important and what changes, if any, need to be made in one’s life. I’m grateful for the many books in the past that have helped me gain wisdom and insight, as well as take actionable steps to make changes in different areas of my life. Two books I found myself returning to re-read are The Power to Change by pastor Craig Groeschel and Win the Day by pastor Mark Batterson. I highly recommend them both!
Third Culture Kids: What It's Like to Grow Up in a Multicultural Home
Where are you from? For most people, this question is simple to answer, but not for someone who is a third-culture kid. Not everyone is born and raised in the same place. Some of us move between states and even countries at an early age, acquiring new habits from other cultures.
Ministering to Mental Illness
Mental health is a rising concern in the United States, and pastors are on the front lines of ministering to people with all kinds of mental illness. Most likely you have counseled and cared for people with anxiety, depression, bipolarity, or even schizophrenia and paranoia. Like most pastors, I took a few counseling classes in seminary but I am not a clinically-trained or licensed counselor. My advice comes from the place of a pastor trying his best by the grace of God to minister to my church and community.
Enchanted Forest
I’m pretty sure I could fill a book with all the ways parenting prepared me for the pastorate. I’m a PK (pastor’s kid), I had superb and exhaustive seminary training, and I got to sit in a front row seat to watch, from the inside, church done well and church done poorly. All of those were powerful training for me when I became a pastor for the first time at 41. Another piece of helpful pastoral training was experience in the trades as a business owner. But I believe all of these fall second to what I learned, and am still learning, from parenting my kids.
Igniting Church Renewal: Building Momentum for Vibrant Transformation
It is a New Year! Get ready to set sail on an exhilarating journey of church revitalization! Picture yourself at the starting line, eagerly anticipating the race horn that signals the commencement of a transformative sailing experience. The clock ticks down, and with less than ten minutes to go, a new wave of activity surrounds you. The race comes alive, their well-rehearsed movements filling the air with excitement.
How to Pray for Youth Ministry in 2024
While many ministries slow down after the holiday season, Youth Ministry in New England will ramp up with a busy January and February! We’re excited and expectant for what God has in store for teenagers and their leaders in New England. As partners in ministry, will you commit to praying for our two upcoming Youth events?
Leaving a Lasting Legacy: The Art of Writing Scripture by Hand
Earlier this year, I found myself delving into the rich history of the kings of Israel and Judah during a Bible study. It was during this exploration that I felt a compelling challenge: to embark on the profound journey of writing the Torah as a daily prayer practice. The experience spanned 187 days, filled 23 journals, and consumed 32 pens. Yet, it sparked a deeper contemplation about the legacy I was leaving for my children and grandchildren.
Stand Firm
I don’t know if you’ve heard the adage “don’t just stand there, do something,” but I’ve sometimes wondered if our culture could ever shed the prevalence of these words. I think there’s a consensus in our fast-paced world that says it’s almost always better to be “doing”—working, planning, moving forward (even if it’s in the wrong direction) as long as we’re doing something.
Faith (When It Doesn’t Make Sense)
At the end of the book of Jeremiah, we find a group of people looking for things to make sense. Jeremiah had spent his life warning the people that they must repent and turn back to the Lord, only to watch them continually despise God’s commands. True to His Word, God allows the land to be conquered and the people to be exiled.
Hard Sell
Remember the last time you bought something complicated for your kids promising “some assembly required”? And it doesn’t help that the instructions are often in some kind of botched translation into English. Often times, the pictures don’t even match the model you’re trying to assemble. I remember putting together an IKEA shelving unit, and not until I completed the whole project did I realize that one of the boards was in backwards. There’s only one way to make it look right again at that point—tear it all back apart and start from the beginning.
A Plan of Discipleship?
If you have been a pastor for some length of time, you have probably been asked “What is your plan of discipleship?” By this, many are likely thinking of some program or book that outlines specific steps through which to walk members. Or, they may have in mind a one-on-one mentorship where an older Christian meets with a younger one. While I am not against utilizing a program, this may miss the biblical picture of what making disciples is all about. To understand that, we need to look at the Great Commission.
Gift Ideas for Your Pastor
It’s that time of year when many people are buying special gifts to thank those that have helped them throughout the year like their mail carrier, hairdresser, or child’s teacher. And many also consider a special gift for their pastor. As a pastor’s wife of nearly 25 years, I can say that these gifts have always been appreciated… As much as those material gifts are enjoyed, I’d like to suggest some additional gifts that I know your pastor would appreciate as well.
Three Great Advent Devotionals For The Christmas Season
In the spirit of celebrating the greatest gift we have been given, the Lord Jesus Christ, here are three Advent devotionals to choose from for your daily time with God this Christmas season. You can follow along with any of these 3 devotionals personally or with your family as you prepare your heart to celebrate Christmas by looking back and remembering Jesus’ first coming and looking forward in hope and anticipation of his glorious return.
Avoiding the “I Versus You” Syndrome
I recall participating in a small group at a church where we were discussing a passage of Scripture that is challenged in our current culture. The leader of the group shared moving stories of his own journey of faith. However, as the discussion wore on, most of his comments began with statements like, “I changed and you need to change too,” or “I stopped this behavior, and you need to stop this behavior too,” and “You need to change the way you think, feel, and act and become like me because I have overcome these problems.”
Note to My Younger Self
One day you will find yourself days away from a retirement of sorts. (Although I doubt the title will not really stick or slow you down.) You will look back on an amazing journey you could never have imagined.