Posts

Showing posts from June, 2025

When Civility Fails: A Pastor’s Response to Violence, Rage, and the Hard Work of Truth

-
Image
  by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D. Introduction — Why I must speak I have been reflecting on recent events in our nation and wrestling with how best to speak into them. As a follower of Jesus Christ and as a pastor, I believe my calling is to shed more light than heat in times of turmoil, and to offer the seasoning of grace in a culture that often tastes bitter. This will not be an exercise in soft-peddling. It will be frank, pastoral, and, where necessary, unflinching. Somewhere, this post will fail to address a consideration that it might have spoken to. I own it, saying in my defense only that space prevents my discussing everything that might be said on a subject and my views on it. Yet undoubtedly, this will cover more ground than most newspaper op-ed articles. Some readers may focus on one thing I say in the post without taking the entirety of what I said here in context. I pray you won't. But I resign myself to the likelihood some will. What I saw this past week I saw a young...
Post a Comment
Read more

The World’s Choice, God’s Choice

-
Image
  by Bart Denny Read: Esther 2 When Image Shines, but Providence Reigns Ever been picked last? Maybe it was dodgeball in school. Or being passed over for a promotion. Or just scrolling through social media and feeling like everyone else has it more together, more admired, more chosen. We live in a world obsessed with image. A world that tells us your worth depends on how you look, what you post, and how many people applaud. But thankfully, that’s not how God chooses. Esther 2 might look like just another chapter in a Bible story, but it holds a mirror up to the way our world works—and how radically different God’s kingdom is. Chosen for All the Wrong Reasons? In Esther 2, we meet a young Jewish woman named Esther—strikingly beautiful, orphaned, raised by her cousin Mordecai, and now swept into a morally compromised “beauty contest” to become queen of Persia. Esther wasn’t chosen because of her faith or her wisdom. She was chosen by the world’s standards—for her...
Post a Comment
Read more

When the Church Goes to Burger King

-
Image
  When the Church Goes to Burger King by Bart L. Denny, PhD "Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Special orders don’t upset us. All we ask is that you let us serve it your way..." If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember that jingle from the old Burger King commercials. Even decades later, I can still hear it echoing in my head. And really—who doesn’t like a hamburger fixed just the way they like it? Light on onions? Easy on the ketchup? Coming right up. Preferences aren’t a bad thing. We all have them, and most of the time, that’s perfectly fine. But not always. When I joined the U.S. Navy back in the 1980s, I quickly learned that military life wasn’t built around my preferences. In boot camp, our instructors made that clear. Rookie sailors who tried to "have it their way" often found themselves wearing a paper crown straight from the local BK and chanting for all to hear, “I’m a Burger King!” Why? Because self-centeredness and personal preferences d...
Post a Comment
Read more

When Power Fails and God Feels Silent: Trusting the Unseen King

-
Image
by Bart L. Denny, PhD  We live in a world that idolizes power. We see it in governments, corporations, pulpits, and headlines. The bigger the platform, the louder the voice, the flashier the success—the more we’re told it matters. But what happens when power disappoints us? History is full of powerful people whose strength was only skin deep. Corrupt kings. Fallen pastors. Empty promises from people we trusted. Sometimes, the very systems we hope will protect us end up causing the most harm. It’s easy to feel discouraged—even cynical. But there’s an ancient story tucked away in the Old Testament that offers a surprising dose of hope. A story where God’s name is never mentioned… yet His presence is unmistakable. Enter Esther. A Forgotten Queen in a Forgotten Book. The Book of Esther opens not with divine miracles, but with political theater. King Xerxes, ruler of the Persian Empire, throws a lavish, 180-day party. Golden couches. Flowing wine. Opulent gardens. It’s less a cele...
Post a Comment
Read more