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The Wheat and the Tares

As we read Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, it’s easy to imagine a thistle or dandelion as the weed that’s sown in with the weeds. The old KJV uses the word “tare.” The Greek is zizania. It’s a word for a weed that looks like wheat in the early stages. This weed wraps itself around the wheat stalk, essentially using the wheat stalk as a stability pile to pull itself up. So if you try to pull out the weed, you pull up the wheat as well.  Based off this parable, a botanist conducted a study and tried to determine exactly which weed Jesus was talking about here. In his study he found some 19th century research where someone had taken the weed darnel and supervised experiments to find out how much of it was safe to eat.  The experiments included feeding darnel to horses and smaller animals in varying amounts. If an animal eats enough darnel, it will start to hallucinate. If it eats more, it will go into a comma. If a large amount is eaten, it is deadly.  So this means the enemy who comes to sow we
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Conquering the Grave: The Hope and Assurance of Christ's Resurrection (Article 3)

 Greetings, dear friends! I’m so glad you are still with me on this theological journey through the Articles of Religion. Today, we set our sights on Article 3, a profound statement about the redemptive work of Jesus. So, let’s dive in. Article 3: "Of the Resurrection of Christ" We believe and proclaim that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, truly died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. His resurrection is not a mere legend or a symbolic tale; it is a historical event of profound significance. In the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we witness the culmination of God's redemptive plan. Jesus chose to carry the weight of our sins upon the cross, offering himself as the perfect sacrifice. But death could not defeat him—on the third day, he victoriously rose from the tomb. The resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal event that seals our hope and secures our salvation. In Jesus' resurrection, we find the assurance that sin and death do not have the final w
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One God, Three Persons: A Theological Exploration of the Trinity

Welcome back, dear reader! I’m so glad you’re joining me on this theological journey through the Articles of Religion. Let’s start with the first article, “Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.” Before we begin, let’s consider the very notion of a "Holy Trinity." What does this mean? Well, in essence, it’s the recognition that God exists as three distinct persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—yet these three persons are one God. This may seem like a paradox, but it is a paradox that lies at the very heart of our Christian faith. Now, you may be wondering how such a thing is possible. How can three persons be one God? Well, the answer lies in the very nature of God himself. You see, God is not merely a human being writ large; he is not subject to the limitations of space and time that we are. Rather, God is eternal, infinite, and omnipotent. He transcends our understanding and exists beyond our comprehension. (I may have got a bit carried away there. Let me say that in a mo
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The Articles of Religion: Why Bother?

Welcome to this theological blog series! Today, we’ll begin exploring the Articles of Religion—a set of theological statements that serve as a declaration of the church’s beliefs and are a key part of its doctrinal foundation. In this series, we will delve into the various articles, exploring their theological significance and relevance for our Christian faith. So, without further ado, let’s begin our journey! The History The Articles of Religion were originally created by the Church of England in the 16th century as a response to the theological debates of the time. They were intended to provide a clear statement of the church’s beliefs and to unify  its members in their understanding of the faith. Over time, other churches—including the Methodist Church—adopted their own version of the Articles of Religion. In the case of the Methodist Church, the Articles of Religion were first adopted in 1784 as part of the church’s constitution. These articles were largely based on the Articles of
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Theology: An Introduction

Well hello there, dear reader friend! It's a pleasure to be with you today to talk about theology. Now, before we dive into the heart of the matter, let me ask you this: have you ever been at a restaurant with a friend and they ordered something you didn't know what it was? Something that sounded exotic and left you wondering, "What on earth is this?"  In a way, theology is like that. It's a complex and nuanced field of study that can leave even the most seasoned scholars scratching their heads. But don't worry, I'm here to help you get a handle on what theology is all about. At its core, theology is the study of God and what people believe about God. Theology tries to better understand God, and to make sense of the many ways that people have tried to connect with God throughout history. Now, you might be tempted to think of theology as a dry and dusty academic pursuit--something for fussy scholars who spend their days reading old books and debating obscur
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Meet Your Guide on this Theological Adventure

Greetings, my dear reader friends! My name is Aaron, and I’m the pastor at First Church of Clyattville—that means I have the great privilege of serving alongside a wonderful community of believers, sharing in the joys and struggles of this journey we call faith. When I’m not preaching, or teaching high school English, you can find me at home with my lovely wife Rachel, our two daughters, Ella and Lydia, and our beloved rescue dog, Peaches (not pictured above). They are the lights of my life, and I am grateful for their love and support each and every day. As for my background, I come to this blog series with a deep passion for theology and a desire to explore the riches of our Christian faith. I believe that theology is not just an intellectual exercise, but a vital part of our relationship with God and with one another. Through this blog series, I hope to share my love of theology with you and to learn from your insights and perspectives as well. So, whether you are a fellow pastor, a
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From the Bottom Up

 Let’s play a game of Show-and-tell. Can you guess what this is? It’s a Lego car of an Aston Martin. It’s James Bond’s car. Now, let’s do a bit of trivia. Do you know the actor who played James Bond in the most movies? Roger Moore. And before Roger Moore was James Bond, he in a TV show called The Saint . And the reason we’re talking about this is because there’s an episode in that series called “The Effete Angler” (effete means ineffective and not manly) and that episode has the right name. Because it has the absolute worst fishing scene. As you watch it, it is so obviously bogus that it’s funny. It’s funny because Roger Moore hooks a small marlin and ferociously cranks on a large trolling reel, which, at one point, he’s holding upside down. And we’re talking about fishing because Jesus says he’ll make the disciples “fishers of men.” Before Jesus says this, we hear that John the Baptist has been arrested. To make a long story short, he said some things about the governor that the gove
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