Why is marriage important?

Why is marriage important? Googling this question resulted in 87,600,000 sites. YIKES! Could there really be that many reasons?

So you don’t have to stay up all night reading this blog, I’m going to focus on the main reason marriage is important (at least what I think the main reason is, but you can tell me later if you agree).

I believe God designed marriage to develop our understanding for and participation in Jesus’ relationship with his bride, the church. Think through this short historical overview with me.

1. First, the Genesis creation account establishes marriage as God’s idea and plan for humanity (Genesis 1-2).
2. Then, God commends marriage throughout the Old Testament period, and even uses marriage as a metaphor for how he sees his relationship with the nation of Israel (Isaiah 54:5; 62:5; Hosea 2:19).

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Just Children?

I find it curious that when there is some sort of catastrophe and a child is involved the newscast reads:  4 injured, including a child.  Why is that?  What is the reason behind the fact that when a child is involved an added comment is merited?  Do we intrinsically feel that a child’s life is of special value, perhaps even of more significance than the adults present in the accident?  Are we saddened to think that a vulnerable, innocent life had been affected by the carelessness of an adult? (Surely the child was not at fault.)  Do we as a society actually suffer by the potential lost when a child is hurt or killed at the hand of another?

Why do I find this curious?  It’s because of the way we, at other times, express our feelings towards children.  We all have heard the phrase:  “just a child” in our casual conversations.  “Yes, there will be six for dinner, but one is just a child.”  Oh, well, we can be late for the game … he’s just a child, he won’t care.”  “Don’t worry, I can meet with you – I was just supposed to take my kid to lunch.”  How about … “We won’t go to the church service this week because it’s just the children.”  And then there are the horrible, degrading bumper stickers that I will not quote … but please remove them from your car!

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Membership

To be or not to be… a member of a church

These days, what do you think of when you hear the word membership?

You may think of paying an annual fee so that you can be able to purchase goods from a website or at Costco.

There can be a certain status associated to a membership if that membership is a very tough one to acquire. But, what does membership mean when it pertains to a membership at a church?

Let’s be clear, being a member of a church does not make you any more or less spiritual.

You would have to search and do some interpretational gymnastics to find where membership is mentioned in the Bible.

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She Loves Together

Dear Friends,

A new fall season has begun. The new theme for Women’s Ministries at Northview is she loves together.

We know that as men and women, the more we engage with each other around common interests and serving opportunities, the more God’s love is visible in us and through us to our world.

So why don’t we love our world more? I can name a few of my own reasons:

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Making Amends

Dear Friends,

You have heard me talk about what I have been learning through Freedom Session in a few devotionals. A couple of weeks ago we were given two tools that I want to recommend to you. It is my hope that you will use these tools to gain your own freedom and, if you have children, to help them gain theirs.

The author of Freedom Session says that the word “can’t” means one of two things, either you won’t or you don’t know how. Let me say it again. Saying “can’t” means either that you won’t or you don’t know how. This certainly applies to making amends for what we have done.

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