Five Artists that Give Me Hope for the Future of Worship Music
As the Worship and Youth Pastor for a mid-sized suburban church, I’m responsible for selecting the songs we sing from week to week. While we don’t stray very far from the expected contemporary/blended approach to worship, our congregation is generally open to trying anything that’s a) Jesus-centered and b) singable. This gives me a lot of freedom […]
Excursion to Jordan
Upon the completion of our three week study in Israel, a number of us remained with JUC for a few extra days to go on an excursion to Jordan. Although I wasn’t required to write a report for the school, I thought it would be fitting to share my experience here on the blog. I’m condensing […]
Israel 13 – Legs, Lungs, and Heart
Our final day began at the Cliffs of Arbel. Arbel is most famously known as the place where Herod the Great flushed out dissidents who were hiding in caves along the cliff faces by lowering soldiers in baskets from the top. Our instructor brought us up there, though, to help us process everything we’ve been […]
Israel 12 – Sailing the Sea of Galilee
Today we started things off with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. In the middle of the lake, the sailors shut the boat’s motor off and we held our lecture there. Our instructor pointed out the regions of Galilee, Gaulanitis, and the Decapolis. This was very effective in helping me grasp what I’ve […]
Israel 11 – The Gates of Hades
Today we traveled north of the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop was Hazor, the largest city in ancient Israel. We spent some time studying Joshua‘s conquest there to help us get a handle on the major cities and routes of the area. Unfortunately, the geography is still a little fuzzy for me…I’m probably going […]