The Lamp Post

 

  An article for the Baptist Convention of New England (BCNE) was written linking to and expanding on this episode. You can find that article HERE

Easter. It is the day Christians around the globe and throughout history celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is not simply that he came back to life again after dying, a sort of reanimation, but that he was resurrected into an incorruptible and renewed body.  But there is more. Christians believe God is going to similarly restore this entire broken world. He does it by renewing all his creation at a climactic future day. What evidence do we have of this? For one, the resurrection of Jesus. He is the first-fruits of what is coming. What about humanity, do we get restored? Those united to Jesus Christ by faith will one day rise as he did. While the Scriptures teach that our spirits go to be with God immediately after death, to be apart from the body is to be present with the Lord, that has never really been the Christian hope. There will be a final resurrection. On that day, all those in Christ will rise as well in an incorruptible and renewed body. That's wh

In August of 2020, Pastor Rick Harrington filmed five sessions of pastoral counseling in northern Vermont near the end of his sabbatical. The sessions are each about 20-minutes and cover the topics: I. God II. Marriage III. Parenting IV. Work V. Death They draw on Scripture as well as on personal and ministry experience. Rick has a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has been a pastor for about 18 years. We hope they’re of some benefit to you. If they are helpful, please leave some feedback. Feel free to use or share these videos, but we would ask that you do not alter the content in any way. Session 1: God Session 2: Marriage Session 3: Parenting Session 4: Work Session 5: Death

After leaving Las Vegas and moving on to the next leg of our sabbatical, I jotted down some thoughts. First, let me say there is a lot of good fun to be had here. I had a blast! The restaurants, shops, tours and weather are topnotch. Many people call "The Meadows" home and raise a family here. But in this reflection, I want to dwell on the doctrine of sin. Las Vegas embraces its sin. It is nicknamed “Sin City“ for a reason. Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada (though officially, not in Las Vegas). Their slogan (I think they’ve changed it now) was “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” suggesting to visitors they should go a little wild while on vacation. Even Forbes published an article, Why Las Vegas is Still America’s Most Sinful City . But consider: sin is not any worse here, it is just more evident. What is veiled in other places around the world is brought out into the open on The Strip. And when something is out in the open, it can be more clearly exa