AnotherJohn.Com

  Honestly, WWJD always felt corny to me. But the older I get, the more I pastor, the more I see people on social media, and the more I watch how we talk to and about each other, the more I wish we would reconsider WWJD. Not as slogan faith, of course, but as a way to slow down and think about the world we are creating. What if you're more responsible for this world being the way it is than you admit? WWJP? What would Jesus post? We are so sure our reactions are so righteous. Would Jesus post to win a pointless online debate, or to share the kingdom of God? WWJSAOP? Would would Jesus say about other people? Or, more striking, what would he say about what we say about other people? How many times did Jesus try to humiliate other people? Oh, he exposed hypocrisy, but it was usually aimed at those who protected power at others' expense. And there was always an invitation tucked in there. WWJJA? What would Jesus joke about? Jesus is not humorless. But he never laughed at vulnerabl...

  Micah 7:18-20 Click here to listen The prophet Micah ends his prophecy in a way I hope we allow our faith to end. He doesn't land on an answer. He's astonished at the thought of the God he knows. "Who is a God like you...?" he asks. Of all the things he could say about the Lord, the prophet is astonished by God's mercy and compassion. That's a bit of a surprise ending. It turns out to be a doxology we can emulate. Micah has spent chapters calling out the corruption of God's people. Leaders have exploited those they were supposed to serve. Prophets put on religious performances while ignoring social injustices. He has given some harsh prophetic judgment. After naming these kinds of realities, it would be easy to grow cynical, easy to assume things will never change. But Micah doesn't end that way. He lifts his eyes. Who is a God like this? Let's call this the shock of mercy. Of course, God judges, but God also forgives. God sees sin and still give...

  2 Timothy 1:3-7 Click here to listen Billy Joel’s “We Didn't Start the Fire” is basically a rapid-fire history lesson. It's filled with famous headlines. Wars. Scandals. Cultural upheaval. And everyone I know in my generation has heard that chorus before: "We didn’t start the fire." The world was already burning when we got here. That's always true when it comes to politics and world events. But it's also true when it comes to faith. Paul tells Timothy to “rekindle the gift of God that is within you.” Notice that he didn't say that Timothy should start a fire. He says, "Fan it." It was already there. Of course, neither Paul nor Timothy started the fire. God did. Timothy's faith had already been lit by the Spirit, by the laying on of hands, and by the quiet faith of his grandmother and mother. The spark was handed to him. His responsibility wasn’t to ignite it, but to steward it faithfully. The same is true for us. You didn’t invent the gosp...

Just for funsies, I asked ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini this question: If you didn't know anything about America politics, what would you notice about this state of the union speech? Here's what ChatGPT said:  1. It’s intensely self-centered The speech is heavily built around “I” language : “I secured…” “I ended…” “I deployed…” “I negotiated…” “I rebuilt…” “I designated…” “I will…” Even major national actions are framed as personal accomplishments. The presidency is presented less as an office and more as a singular force of will. The country’s success is rhetorically fused with one person. 2. It relies on extremes Almost everything is described in superlatives: “biggest in history” “strongest ever” “lowest ever recorded” “colossal victory” “no one has ever seen” “never happened before” There’s very little moderation in tone. The language lives at the edges — worst ever, best ever, total disaster, total success. 3. It mixes ceremony...

  Exodus 34:1-5 Listen to today's devotional Moses had work to do to replace the broken tablets. Then God told him to be ready. Specifically, God said, "Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai.” Moses had instructions to go back up the mountain, but let's focus on when: In the morning. That the instruction mentioned the morning twice got me thinking of another morning-mercy passage of scripture. You may remember that it says, “Weeping may endure for a night…” but joy? Joy shows up early. Also, remember that manna appeared in the morning. And morning is when resurrection breaks the dark. But also notice that God’s promise of renewal comes with preparation. “Be ready," God says. Of course, Moses had already been on this mountain. That's where he first shattered the original tablets. Thankfully, that didn't shatter the covenant. When God calls him back up, God does not say, “Whenever you feel like it.” The Lord says, “Be ready in the mo...

  1 Kings 19:1-8 Listen to today's devotional Elijah collapses under a broom tree and says, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life.” Remember, this is the same man who called down fire in the previous chapter. Let that sit for a moment, and realize that having faith in God does not make you immune to life's despair. Even those who have seen God move in powerful ways can find themselves praying from a place of exhaustion. When it happened to Elijah, notice what God does. He does not scold Elijah or question his calling. He does not say, “After all I’ve done for you…” Instead, God provides. An angel touches him. There's bread, water, and sleep. Then there's even encouragement: "Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” Elijah is not rejected in his weakness. God sustains him through it. I wonder if some of us are under a broom tree right now, so to speak. We're not rebelling or being unfaithful. We're just worn thin. The strain and disa...