BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
Making Easter memorable
Our family makes a conscious effort to emphasize the joy that comes from gathering with the saints on Sunday mornings. From counting down throughout the week to picking out dresses the night before, these simple habits have shaped in them an exciting anticipation for the upcoming Lord’s Day.
Give them good songs
I can’t help but chuckle as my small family sings to the Lord during family worship. We rarely sing in the right pitch, we fumble over lyrics, and our ability to keep the correct tune is inconsistent. We don’t play any instruments, which would help guide us or at least drown us out a bit. It’s truly a sound only the Lord and a mother could love. One might wonder, if our talents are so pitiful and possibly even painful to the ear, why sing to the Lord during family worship? Why not just read the Scriptures and pray?
Modeling a life our children can imitate
Growing up, the familiar mantra “do as I say, not as I do” was most commonly used to discourage us from cussing and smoking cigarettes. Yet, as I parent my girls, I find myself living through this same lens in all sorts of ways. I tell my daughter to speak with a kind tone towards her sister as I bark orders at them both. I encourage her to wait patiently but I grumble at slow traffic and halted grocery lines. While we’re certainly called to teach our kids how to live out the Christian faith (Prov. 22:6 and Deut. 6:4-9), we must also resolve to live out our Christian faith in word and in deed.
Much more than a meal: Serving and connecting during a pandemic
During this unprecedented and seemingly never-ending season that is COVID, fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ has taken on a new form. Togetherness during Sunday morning services is impacted by elders making very complicated decisions. Hospitality looks different and is potentially non-existent given your context, capabilities and convictions. For some, hugs and handshakes have given way to waves and greetings from six feet away. Meals around the table occur more frequently through a computer screen for some or not at all for many. May I encourage you to consider bringing someone a meal?
A woman’s place is in the home
My dear neighbor posted a sign in her yard that says: “A Woman’s Place is in the Resistance.” The sign faces my house so I’m drawn to it every time I go outside or pull into our driveway, and it has sparked so much thought. Is our place in the resistance? What does that even mean? Where is the place of a woman? What about a Christian woman who is a wife and mom? I’m convinced by God’s Word that our place is actually in the home.
Raising tiny theologians: A matter of life and death
Christianese can really trip people up. Sometimes terminology intimidates well-intentioned Christians when these words are actually filled to the brim with rich, treasurable truths. Take the word “theology” for example. We assume theology is for the scholar, the pastor, the apologist – but never for us. Yet theology is simply the study of God, His existence and attributes and His relationship to His creation. We all have views about these things. That makes us all theologians. And if you’re a parent, then you’re raising tiny theologians.
Parenting lessons from the garden
Like many people, we started our first garden this year. I honestly don’t remember what inspired me to do so, but before I knew it, we were filling raised beds with soil. Once the last frost passed, we planted various seeds, which was quite the event with a three-year-old and a two-year-old in tow. I envisioned laughter, photographic moments and a perfectly prepped garden. What I got were muddy kids, unmarked plots and a disaster in the carrot section.