Darryl Dash's Blog, page 63
February 23, 2021
How Many Acres Do You Have?
Wild Mountain Thyme isn’t likely to win any Academy Awards, but it’s a fun date movie about an Irish woman named Rosemary who longs to win the heart of her hapless neighbor, Anthony. It’s a fun and scenic movie to watch.
I wasn’t expecting to think much about any of the themes of the movie, but one theme did make me think. Anthony’s cousin Adam visits Ireland from America.
“How many acres do you have?” he asks Rosemary.
“I don’t know,” Rosemary replies.
“How do you not know how m...
February 20, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Pastors, we need people in our lives to whom we confess often.
Pastors and church leaders, whatever actions you take to fight for purity, it’s important to remember: women are not the problem.
Don’t Fill Every Open Moment with Content
I’m suggesting you should give up something to free up a bit more empty space in your life. Recognize that stillness is vital for your spiritual health...
February 16, 2021
The Problem Covering the Problem
I remember the first time I witnessed, from afar, the fall of a Christian leader I respected. One of the painful lessons I learned is that we’re all vulnerable. I appreciate what Ray Ortlund says: “Every one of us is always five minutes away from moral and ministry disaster.” It’s closer than we think.
We have a problem. 64% of Christian men admit to watching porn. 57% of pastors admit they have struggled with porn, either now or in the past. This is a problem we clearly must address. Boo...
February 13, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
An Open Letter to the Evangelical Church on Christology
The life and health of the church depends on a correct preaching and teaching of Christ — a teaching that leads us, by God’s grace, to faith and confidence in our Lord Jesus, and an entire life lived in adoration, praise, and obedience to him.
Should Young Pastors Prefer a Large or Small Church?
Are you willing to minister in obscurity where you can come to know what it is to pastor precio...
February 9, 2021
For the Long Haul, Go Deep
My early years were characterized by a mad rush to the pastorate. I took a Bachelor of Theology Honors degree, which was a Master of Divinity with a year tacked on for those with no undergraduate degree. I graduated and took my first pastorate at the age of 24. I was ordained less than two years later.
I don’t regret any of it. The professors who taught me in seminary were world class. My first pastorate had some hard moments, as all pastorates do, but was a gift from God. But looking bac...
February 6, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
A Letter to the Premiers of the Provinces and Territories of Canada
We implore you to allow places of worship to open their doors again as soon as it is safe to do so. However, we are not blind to the risk of transmission posed by larger gatherings.
Seven Worship Services Each Week
I want to encourage you to do all that you can to gather in person while honouring the restrictions. Do it for your sheep!
February 2, 2021
Does Leviticus Teach Us How to Handle COVID-19?
Passages in Leviticus that deal with topics like diseases and quarantine no longer seem so removed from our experience.
What do these passages teach us? And how can we apply them today?
What Leviticus TeachesLeviticus 13 to 15 cover a variety of issues related to ceremonial cleanness. It’s part of a larger section (chapters 11 to 16) dealing with purity. God provides a way for impure people to be purified so they can worship him.
Chapters 13 and 14 cover a particular condition. ...
January 30, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Though he walks in the background of the Proverbs 31 poem, he still teaches lessons in the art of husbandry.
Prayer is a great gift. Don’t over-formalize it.
Why Corporate Worship Should Include Corporate Confession
Here are five reasons you should include a time of confession in your prayers as a church on Sundays.
I’m not writing about conservatism because I think t...
January 26, 2021
The Privilege of Pastoring
I pastor a small, relatively new church. We don’t own a building. The church feels fragile, although I suppose every church does. Although we’re small, we have our share of challenges and problems.
And yet I can’t believe I have the privilege of pastoring this church.
I feel this way lately every time I open Zoom and see the faces of our people. We can’t even meet in person right now.
Pastoring a congregation — even a small one that can’t meet in person — is a privilege greater than...
January 23, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Reevaluating Your Church’s Values
While we’ve been emphasizing initial decisions, numeric growth, and “worship experiences,” we’ve likely been missing out on communicating what God ultimately values — which isn’t success so much as faithfulness.
How Would Paul Use a Church Directory? He’d Look for Grace on Every Page.
Let me offer another outlet for your creative insights about the church. Pull out your church directory and notice God’s grace i...
