Author Archives: pastordavesimpson

About pastordavesimpson

I'm an unexpected pastor. Why unexpected? Because no one is more surprised than me that I'm a pastor. See the "About" page on my blog for more info.

The Unexpected Pastor’s Best Picture Countdown 2019

Posted on February 20, 2019 by pastordavesimpson

Sunday night at the hostless Academy Awards ceremony, one of eight films will be awarded the Best Picture Oscar. Here is my annual ranking of the nominated films. As always, these are not predictions nor is the order based on … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Culture, film, Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The First Christian Preacher – A Sermon about Mary Magdalene

Posted on July 24, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

(This is a sermon in our 10-week Wonder Women of Faith series.  This week’s Wonder Woman is Mary Magdalene. The sermon Scripture is John’s resurrection account, John 20:1-18. You can listen to a podcast of the sermon here.) How many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

“It Is Very Biblical to Enforce the Law”

Posted on June 15, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

The Bible according to the Jeff Sessions/Sarah Sanders interpretation of Romans 13: – Hebrew women, including Moses’ mom, should’ve turned over their babies to the Egyptian authorities because of God’s “clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Christianity and Culture, Political | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“Into the Hand of a Woman” (Or, A Well-Placed Tent Peg)

Posted on June 6, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

(This is the second sermon in our 10-week Wonder Women of Faith series.  This week’s Wonder Women are Deborah and Jael. Their story is found in Judges 4 and 5, but the reading in worship was Judges 4:1-10. You can … Continue reading →

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That’s Just the Way “They” Are

Posted on June 1, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

The four young women burst into my car on the DC Metro late one afternoon last week. Probably in their mid-teens, they entered with the loud exuberance of unrestrained youth. Mindful only of their group and oblivious to the sparse … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Women Who Challenged Moses (and God): The Daughters of Zelophehad

Posted on May 30, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

(This is the first sermon in a ten-week series, “Wonder Women of the Bible.” The story of the Daughters of Zelophehad takes place during the wilderness wandering of the People of Israel, and is recorded in Numbers 27:1-11. The sermon … Continue reading →

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Children at the Border: The Cruelty of “Whatever Works”

Posted on May 29, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

“Just shooting one would be all that it takes . . .” In my mid 20’s  I worked for two years at a Wilderness Camp for delinquent young men. It was rewarding but often challenging and frustrating work. Living in … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

An UpLyfting Ride

Posted on May 15, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

In these dark days of divisiveness, you’ve got to find hope where you can. Last week, hope surprised me in a grey Honda Accord. Lyft driver Rayan* picked me up at my San Diego Hotel. I’d spent a few days … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Islam | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Review: Paul, Apostle of Christ

Posted on April 10, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

I have been posting brief reviews of films on my Facebook page, but am going to start posting them here as well. I welcome your comments, especially your disagreements (which are much more interesting than agreement, but those are welcome, too). … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Culture, Christianity, Christianity and Culture, film, Movies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Unexpected Pastor’s Best Picture Countdown 2018

Posted on February 27, 2018 by pastordavesimpson

Here we go again! Every year I rank the films nominated for Best Picture. As always, these are not predictions nor is the order based on films I “liked” the most, but rather my opinion of which films are most … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and Culture, film, Movies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments