AnotherJohn.Com

  This week, I had a chance to meet with several colleagues and friends. Our meeting was a part of the ongoing ordination process for several of the participants. I am one of the mentors of the group. My role is to encourage and guide my candidate through the final phase of their ordination. Let me tell you, I am greatly encouraged! I get a chance to hear these pastors share a word from the Lord, how they are finding their place as pastors in the church, and how they are reflecting on what it means to be a witness to Jesus. They are faithful, discerning, thoughtful, and serious about their calling. Some are young. Others aren’t as young as they used to be. One candidate is actually from a church I once served and was in elementary school the last time I saw him. Yesterday’s conversation centered on conflict. Of course, conflict is natural, normal, and I believe necessary. What I’ll tell you is conflict in ministry is heavy. Not that it’s any worse or demanding than what you might f...

  Galatians 5:22-26 Click here to listen Do you love music? I do, and maybe that's why I love the image in Galatians 5. In that chapter, some versions translate what Paul writes in verse 25 as, “Let us keep in step with the Spirit.” In step. You can be in step when you're walking in rhythm, not rushing ahead or dragging behind. But what about a dance? There's some keeping in step required to avoid tripping over a dance partner. Of course, when it comes to the Spirit, we're not just keeping musical time. We’re aligning our hearts with the Spirit and with the rest of the church. Paul wrote Galatians because believers were forgetting their freedom. Some were insisting that faith required extra rules and old boundaries. Paul’s message was clear: in Christ, you are already free. Not free to do whatever you want, but free to live with God’s purpose. And free to love. So how do we know if we’re keeping in step? Paul gives us a measuring stick: Fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is...

  Galatians 6:1-3 Click here to listen In Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul writes, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” A burden is something heavy. It is a load to carry. In the Galatians 6 sense, it is something too heavy to carry alone. It may be grief, anxiety, doubt, temptation, illness, financial strain, or some other quiet pain no one else sees. We often try to manage those things ourselves. They're our burdens, after all. Sometimes we even let others struggle alone. But the church is meant to be different. We are not called merely to be “nice.” We are called to love as Christ has loved us. And that love has its own weight to it. It draws near to what is messy. It will sit in silence when there are no right words to say. It listens without judgment. It brings a meal, offers a ride, holds hope for someone who has lost theirs. Think of the friends in the book of Job. They did their best heavy-burden lifting when they simply sat with ...

I have always wondered whether the presidents that history claims are the worst were popular during their administrations. That is, maybe their policies, or lack thereof, proved to be failures. But that also doesn't mean they didn't have followers and people who thought they were doing well. Our current administration is experiencing historically low approval rates . But don't tell that to his rally-goers, flag-bearers, and Bible-buyers.  So, how does history determine where a president fits on the worst-to-best scale? I'm sure there's subjectivity that goes into that decision. But here's something that I found interesting that I'll use to weigh on the subject.  This article writes of James Buchanan's unpopularity, and finishes with this line:  "In comparison with strong Presidents, he said, “weak Presidents, men like Fillmore, Buchanan and Harding … bring democracy into disrepute and expose the Constitution to grave perils,” he said." How do...

I knew it. Michael Jackson died in 2009, and we all wondered who could take his place in pop culture. Now, I'm not sure anyone will be able to do what Michael did.  But in 2014, I knew who would come closest. By then, Bruno Mars was already successful. Obviously, because he played the Super Bowl that year. The man emerged playing a drum solo, and I remember watching that entire performance and thinking, 'He's the one.' He's incredibly talented, and everything he touches turns to gold.  When I listened to  his new song today , I heard what I heard back then. This is a great song! Stay blessed...john

  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...

My family chuckled during our little family Ash Wednesday gathering.  I told them Ash Wednesday reminds us that we sin and we're going to die. Or as I posted for a colleague who asked us to describe our job poorly, I said: I apply sacred soot and whisper existential truths.  They giggled because it didn't fit the mood we had been having. It had been a joyful day; we celebrated my son's finishing Basic Training and the first time we had been together in months. But those ashes were calling.  So, how's this for existential truths? I've already planned my funeral. It happened several years ago, one morning as I drove to church.  But one thing I haven't decided on for sure is whether to have someone sing Over the Rainbow either at the graveside or at the party that'll be planned for afterwards.  Do you hear that song as sad or hopeful?  I tend to hear the hopefulness in it. That's why it's a favorite song of mine. Well, certainly Eva Cassidy's cover ...

  Romans 1:8-17 Listen to today's devotional The letter to the Romans will get to some heavy matters of faith. But before all that, Paul reminds us of something we should not lose sight of along the way. He writes of his desire to see the church in Rome again, "so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. He is, of course, a spiritual giant to many people. But Paul also admits he needs the encouragement of others in his faith, too. Faith, for him, is not a solo climb but a shared strength. This last Ash Wednesday, our family gathered around a table at our Airbnb. The day's activities kept us from attending a service at a local congregation. So, all of us sat side by side, marked with the same cross of ash I quickly made. No one had a spiritual advantage from the barbecue ashes we had earlier. We were dust together. In the moment, I thought of the famous “pale blue dot” image, captured by NASA. From space, Earth is barely visible. It's a tiny speck b...

  1 Corinthians 1:4-9 Listen to today's devotional Before you ever wanted to walk with the Lord, God was already waiting for you. Now, that’s not a sentimental idea. That is an affirmation of the Bible. 1 Corinthians 1 says that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." You were called by God, not after you cleaned yourself up. Not after you figured out your theology or even got serious. You were called before your first prayer, before your first doubt, even before your first denial. God has been and was already faithful. We tend to tell our testimonies like we found God. Like we were spiritual explorers who finally stumbled into the right cave with the right treasure. But that's not the gospel. You didn’t initiate this relationship. You responded to it. You didn’t wake up one day and decide to pursue God. You woke up to the reality that God had been pursuing you all along. Doesn't that change the tone of discipl...

  Proverbs 28:22-27 Listen to today's devotional If you trust that God will take care of you, you have no right to be stingy. That's my attempt at a proverb to suggest that stinginess is not a budgeting strategy. It is a theology problem. Of course, there's responsible giving and generosity. But don't think we decide where that line is arbitrarily. We're influenced by our culture and the values we hold. For example, many people assume Jesus said literal things about hell, but was only figuratively speaking about riches. So, here's the theology problem. When I clutch what I have, I’m not protecting my resources. I’m revealing my fear. And fear is often just unbelief dressed in responsible clothing. If God is Provider, then why am I hoarding? If God is Shepherd, why am I grazing like there’s no next pasture? Stinginess says, “There won’t be enough.” Faith says, “There will be more where that came from.” But let’s go deeper. Because this isn’t just about money. It’...

  Proverbs 13:1-4 Listen to today's devotional “From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things…” (Proverbs 13:2). Let's consider how this proverb impacts our discipleship. You may be someone who has a problem with their "big mouth." You say things you don't want to, and what you say often makes what you're in even worse. For a moment, think of your mouth less as a megaphone and more as a garden. That makes every word you use a seed. Now, think about how culture often rewards rage and sarcasm. What is that really building these days? Sharp tongues earn followers, sure. But at what expense? Cynicism masquerades as wisdom but really only makes us feel more hopeless. The proverb, though, asks us to think about how our words don't just describe our world. They help shape it. That we don't just speak about our lives. We speak our lives into being. I don't mean that in a name-it-claim-it kind of way. This is not a nod to the prosperity gospel....

I'm pretty sure I've seen every video Harry Mack has put out on social media.  Fans of HM know there's one rule: Never skip a Harry Mack video.  I've added a second rule: Like whatever HM. video you're watching before it even finishes.  I don't know that I've ever heard him and thought, "Meh." He has an amazing skill. People regularly accuse him of using AI tools to fake his videos. But I've seen too much of his work to think any else other than he's incredibly gifted and has worked hard to master his craft. And I've seen a lot of people say that they don't like rap music, but are incredibly impressed by what he does.  I don't know how you wouldn't be. There have only been two celebrities I've ever wanted to meet. The first was Alyssa Milano--don't worry, Gloria knows. The second is Harry Mack. Most people wouldn't even consider him a celebrity. But if Harry ever comes to Corpus Christi, I have my three words rea...

  Acts 7:30-34 Listen to today's devotional Acts 7 reminds us that God shows up in the waiting. In that chapter, Stephen retells the story of Moses and says, “After forty years had passed…” Forty years. That’s not a quick devotional quiet time or a short worship service that gets you out before lunch. That's not a semester, or even a longer-than-you've-ever-had pastoral appointment. That’s a lifetime of wondering if the promise still meant anything. Then, one day, out of nowhere, a bush starts burning, and everything changes. This week, our family is celebrating our son’s graduation from Air Force Basic Training. Within the last few days, several people have told my wife, “Wow, the time went by fast!” And for them, maybe it did. But ask his mama. It has been almost two months since she’s talked to her baby boy. Time doesn’t fly when you’re counting the days. Two months have passed for us. Forty years passed for Moses. While Moses was tending sheep in that time, doing the ve...

Google Voice did me wrong this morning. I was easing into the day with my inbox open, scrolling through messages I’d ignored for a few days. Nothing urgent. It's a Friday morning, after all. Then I saw it. An email from Google Voice. Apparently, my number was about to expire. “Use it or lose it,” basically. I almost laughed. Even my phone number needs attention now. So I clicked the link and logged in, ready to make a quick call just to keep it alive. The screen loaded. Right beneath my number, neat and casual, as if it were doing me a favor, Google offered suggestions of people I might want to call. The first name stopped me. My grandmother. The second one hit harder. My sister. For a split second, it felt normal. Like I could just tap their names and hear their voices ring through the speaker. Like nothing had changed. Like time hadn’t moved. But time has moved. They’re no longer with us. And there I was, just trying to keep a phone number active, when an algorithm casually hande...

  Micah 6:6-8 Listen to today's devotional We live in a world that loves false dilemmas. It's either justice or mercy. Truth or love. Either faithfulness to God or survival in a rough, complicated world. And when our choices feel impossible like that, we're tempted to shrug and say, “There’s just no way.” Well, there is. Today, let's take our cue from the prophet Micah. He says, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?” Notice that Micah doesn’t give us an escape plan we might be looking for. He doesn’t lower the bar of holiness or spiritualize problems away. He simply says: This is the way. Justice, then, is not optional, even when systems are stacked against you. Kindness is not weakness, even when cruelty feels efficient, popular, and necessary. Humility is not passivity, even when pride and power are tempting a different way. Be sure, God’s way is demanding. But G...