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 curious seeker, or simply someone who loves to ponder the mysteries of God, I welcome you to this blog series.

As we move forward, my goal is to publish two posts a month—a rhythm I believe will allow us to dive deep into the topics at hand, while also leaving room for thoughtful reflection and discussion.

So, I invite you to subscribe to this blog, to share your thoughts and questions in the comment section below, and to journey with me as we seek to better understand the mysteries of God and the richness of our Christian faith.

One final thing, dear reader, before we continue with this series, allow me to share with you one of my favorite songs, “Theologians” by Wilco. This song, in its own light-hearted way, speaks to the complexity and richness of theology—a subject that can often seem daunting or intimidating. But fear not, for in the spirt of Wilco’s playful approach, we’ll explore the depths of theology (well, mostly Wesleyan theology) with a sense of joy and wonder, embracing its complexities and nuances along the way.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always, and may we grow together in the knowledge and love of God.

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Advent: The First Season of the Church Year

“Advent begins in the dark” - Fleming Rutledge Advent means arrival. This is the time of the church year where we prepare for the arrival of Jesus. Our colors are purple for the dawn of the early morning—when it’s dark and you’re waiting for the sun to rise, for God’s new day to come. ‌ Thursday was Thanksgiving, so if you watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown that’s a beautiful illustration of Advent. Linus is out in the field waiting for the Great Pumpkin. For Advent, it’s like we, as Christians, are out in the field—and everyone else thinks we’re crazy—but we’ve been given the faith to believe and know that because our Lord came once, he will come again. So, like Linus, we wait and we watch. And, surprisingly, Jesus continues to meet us until he comes in final glory. Here is the prayer for the first Sunday of Advent from The Book of Common Prayer: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mor...

Homecoming at Mt. Zion

On October 16, 2022, I was invited to preach the Homecoming service at Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion is the church I served at from 2004 - 2007, when I was in my early twenties and a student at VSU. Luke 18:1-8 Bob Dylan wrote it in 1973. Eric Clapton made a cover of it two years later in 1975. Even Guns N’ Roses gave it a shot in 1990. Do you know the song? It’s the one that goes “knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door.” So why do we start with that song? Because Jesus is teaching about prayer and he says, “Keep knocking. Keep asking until you get what you want.” Or , at least, that’s what the first verse makes us think this story is about. This story is a parable. A parable is an earthly story that reveals a heavenly truth. In his parables, Jesus is teaching about himself. As we read the Bible, we want to look for the things that are surprising. And this story tells us something surprising about grace. In Luke 18 , Jesus is talking to people who, like Garth Brooks, have unanswered ...

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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