Cameron Pollock
When I was in high school a friend of mine recommended the book Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. It was and still is a fascinating read; Postman proved to be prophetic regarding the negative influence of television and show business on our culture. I wish I could say my initial reading of that... Continue Reading →
A little over a week ago, my wife and I welcomed our third daughter, Lucy Virginia, into the world. It was an excruciating yet thrilling experience, and the joy never diminishes with each child. I think it actually increases. I cannot tell you, though, how many people have asked us, "Is this your first one?"... Continue Reading →
What do you think when you walk into a church building and see an organ placed prominently toward the front? What about a drum set? How about an electric guitar? Depending on your views of worship and music, the mere sight of an instrument at the front of the sanctuary can evoke a wide range... Continue Reading →
Very soon after I had moved to Pennsylvania to serve as an assistant pastor, my senior pastor took me to visit a couple and their newborn baby. My pastor decided to show me around the area as we went, and he pointed out, as we drove past, a Moravian church in the town of Lititz.... Continue Reading →
We talk about what we love. I have found in a church setting that the best way to connect with someone from a different demographic is to ask them about what I think they might love. Elderly people like to talk about their family and their past experiences. Middle aged people often talk about their... Continue Reading →
I have seen a lot of people complaining in the social media universe about the lewd, sexually explicit nature of the Super Bowl halftime show. Last night millions upon millions of grown men and boys watched in a stadium or on their screens at home—often with their mothers, sisters and daughters fully present—provocatively “dressed” women... Continue Reading →
You're standing to sing in a new church. The worship leader gets up to lead the first song, with the words on the screen behind him. Then you realize you can't sing the song because you've never heard it. Did the worship leader write it? Who knows. But you're left standing there, with about a... Continue Reading →
In 1640 the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony printed the Bay Psalm Book. It was the first printed book in North America. It was originally entitled The Whole Booke of Psalms Faithfully Translated into English Metre. That title highlights the Puritan desire for a psalm book that clearly reflected the original Hebrew poetry of the... Continue Reading →
Every New Years, instead of making resolutions, I try to look back over the year and make a list of "lessons learned." This year I think I can honestly say one big lesson stands out above the rest. Any other lessons I learned either flowed out of this big lesson or led me back to... Continue Reading →
Every once in a while I get the privilege of preaching at my church. In a couple of weeks I'll step into the pulpit. I have been preaching through a series on James, so on Tuesday I opened my Bible browser online to look at the next passage, and it was this: Blessed is the... Continue Reading →
Worship as a Way of Life 