When you read an advertisement, the first thing they want you to see is what you’ll get out of the deal. You could have this car or this house or this service for less money than you think (or at least as much as they think they can get away with). They don’t hide the product or service. When you visit the website of a well-run organization, you’ll easily find its mission statement. Not just a slogan, but a carefully crafted statement of purpose explaining why they exist. It directs and focuses the energies of every department—again, assuming it is healthy and well-managed. In the Christian faith, we are not…

This year our church is trying something a bit adventurous for our annual Easter drama. Instead of ending the Easter story with the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, we’re telling the story of what happens next: how the Gospel of what Jesus did went out into the world, as told in the book of Acts. Much happens in Acts, and if you’re not familiar with the big picture, it can seem like it’s just one thing after another. But there are important themes you can trace that can help keep you oriented through the amazing events that happened in the first century of the life of the church. The Key…