New England Perspectives
A regularly updated collection of articles written by New England leaders and thinkers. Looking for news articles? Click here.
Finding Peace in Christ
In today’s fast-paced and often chaotic world, challenges such as anxiety, depression, and stress have become increasingly common. Sadly, some people seek relief through unhealthy habits and behaviors. Others seek relief through therapy, medication, or self-help strategies, all of which can be beneficial. However, as Christians, we know that faith in Jesus Christ offers a unique and profound source of healing and peace that surpasses human understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Spiritual Speeders
When my two older children were in college, my wife and I took a road trip from New England to South Carolina to visit them. Somehow we managed to avoid all the typical road construction and rush hour traffic. We made great time and it was an enjoyable road trip, with one frightening exception. As we neared Charlotte, North Carolina, we came up on a lengthy line of traffic due to a major accident involving a tractor trailer.
Happiness Versus Contentment
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the difference between happiness and contentment. Several online dictionaries define happiness as “the state of being happy”. I didn’t actually find that very helpful. But another dictionary defined it as “a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment.” Though I think that is a better definition, I actually think contentment is deeper than happiness.
Grieving with Hope
Grief. I’m not sure that I ever really understood grief until the last few months. It is one of those emotions you can read about, study, or discuss, but can’t really understand until you personally experience it. After losing my wife to pancreatic cancer 7 months ago, I’m still coming to terms with what it means to grieve.
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.
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.
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.”
Committed to New England: Buying a home and a burial plot
In 1994 when Kay and I first moved to New England as missionaries, we served small churches in rural villages in Vermont. Having lived in various cities all of my life, it was quite the culture shock to adjust to ministry in such a different setting. To help me learn how to serve well, I used to meet monthly with Merwyn Borders. Though he was not a native New Englander, Rev. Borders had served in both Massachusetts and Vermont for decades. He loved New England and understood it as well as any “outsider” could.
Why Immigrants Are Important To Me
Immigration is a hot issue in today’s polarized political climate. Everyone has a list of concerns formed by their own experiences and ideology. I surely can’t hope to address all those concerns, that is a job for someone else. But I am happy to share the reason why I think helping immigrants integrate well into our culture is an important gospel issue.
I’m Not Rich - Should I Still Plan to Give to a BFNE Endowment Fund through My Estate?
For several years my wife served as the librarian for the Calef Memorial Library in Washington, Vermont. This small library in the middle of the village had one room on the main floor and two small rooms in the basement. It was only open three days a week, and then only for a half day each day. It was a small library, which is typical across Vermont. But it was an important part of the community. It was about more than books, it was also a community gathering place, especially in the winter when travel to other larger libraries was not always realistic. For many reasons, it was the only library many people in the village ever visited.
Why Revitalizing Historic Churches Is Important
Historic churches dot the New England landscape. In fact, there are few pictures more iconic “New England” than a historic church with its grand steeple raising up toward heaven. In those old buildings powerful Gospel sermons were preached by famous preachers like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and D. L. Moody. Equally powerful sermons were also preached in those pulpits by faithful ministers whose names no one remembers, but whose impact continues to be felt in New England until this very day.
Why Christ’s Sacrifice Matters Even to Nonbelievers
The story is told of a minister who had two little children. His youngest daughter asked him one Sunday after church why he always said a prayer right before he preached. Impressed that his daughter was actually paying attention to what was going on in the service, he solemnly told her that he always prayed before the sermon to ask God to bless the sermon and make it both inspiring and encouraging to the audience. After a moment of silence, the little girl spoke up again. She said, “Daddy, why doesn’t God ever answer that prayer?”
Rejoicing in God’s Work These Last 8 Years
Eight years ago today I began my service as the Executive Director of the BCNE. It is a great joy to serve the churches. From my very first day, my passion has been to help the churches multiply Christ-followers through partnering, equipping, and encouraging. I’m thankful the Lord has chosen to honor my humble efforts with His favor.
Balancing Your Local and International Missions Efforts
I was asked to consult with a historically strong congregation that once had a fully funded ministry and a full-time, salaried pastor. Their perpetually shrinking budget and unbalanced missions strategy required that a new pastor serve bivocationally, which proved to be a wake-up call for the church members. The church’s commitment to international missions came at the expense of its ministry to internationals now living in their own communities.
The power behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream,” speech. Though it was not his first speech on racial equality in America, it was the speech that provided a pivotal moment that changed the way people in our nation thought about the issue. As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I think it is worthwhile to take a look at that speech again.