The God of love and peace be with you today. (Yesterday on the blog: Flowers Springing Up in the Rain) The Joys and Challenges of Small Church Ministry I enjoyed Jeff’s celebration of the joys (and challenges) of ministering in a small town. What would we be missing if our Bibles lacked the book of Galatians? I can’t imagine being asked this question off-the-cuff–or answering as well as Derek Thomas does here. The Transgender Fantasy Andrew T. Walker: “Pastors have no shortage of issues that they are called up to address in their ministries. The pressure to be an expert on every new issue can be daunting when thinking about everything else on the pastor’s plate. Most pastors need fewer burdens, not more. But when issues of what it means to be human surface — and this is at the center of the debate over transgenderism — it’s important that pastors seek to bring the full counsel of God’s word to bear on the issue at hand.” Stricter Standards Do Not Always Equal Legalism Barbara offers an important corrective here: Christians who hold to stricter standards (in, for example, the way they dress) are not necessarily succumbing to legalism. 3 Things to Pray for those Hurting, Suffering and Grieving Ken Irungu (aka Ken in Kenya): “We all know someone who is hurting, who is suffering or is grieving, don’t we? We promise to pray for them, but at times, we do not know how and what to pray for them. Sometimes all we pray for … Continue reading A La Carte (July 26)