Category Archives: Christian Living

“. . . in the best possible light”

Posted on September 25, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Just a quick thought . . . We deepen division and obliterate even the possibility of relationship when we define those with whom we disagree according to the most extreme proponents and positions of their convictions. What if we stopped awfulizing religions (or lack thereof), political … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Martin Luther | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Pastoral Letter to an Abused Woman (Repost)

Posted on September 12, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

(I first posted this over two years ago. With the recent attention to Domestic Violence, I thought it was appropriate to repost.  The church should certainly be speaking to issues such as this.  As I say at the end, it was … Continue reading →

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Convert Them or Kill Them!

Posted on September 10, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

On Sean Hannity’s Fox “News” show the other night, they were talking about ISIS. That’s certainly an important topic – ISIS is destabilizing the Middle East, killing and torturing people indiscriminately, and doing their best to drag the US back … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

I Won’t Try to Convert You . . . Because I Can’t

Posted on August 29, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

When I get a notification that someone has liked a post or has decided to follow The Unexpected Pastor (which you can do with the “Follow” button on the right, by the way), I usually check out their blog. The other day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Some Thoughts about Depression and Suicide

Posted on August 25, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

(Yesterday after the “normal” sermon about the book of Ruth, I spent a few minutes discussing a couple of things I felt called to share.) While I was away on vacation, Robin Williams died. It was amazing how much his … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Pastors | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Hail To The Redskins – and Farewell

Posted on June 19, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Picture a buck-toothed 5th-grader with a crew cut and Husky-sized pants. It’s winter 1973 and he’s on his way to school in Richmond, VA. That’s a burgundy and gold jacket he’s wearing. If you look close, you’ll see that those … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Football | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Heaven Is For Realz #feelgoodism

Posted on May 1, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

How did I end up going to see “Heaven Is For Real” last Saturday afternoon? I’m teaching a Bible Study on the afterlife, and the movie (and book) about four-year old Colton Burpo’s visit to “heaven” is inevitably a topic of conversation. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Movies | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Noah, the Film: A Rant, a Review, and a Recommendation

Posted on March 31, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Justice and mercy. Those are the big themes of the new Darren Aronofsky version of Noah that opened to huge ticket sales and significant controversy this weekend. In the midst of big-budget CGI effects – supposedly the most complex ever produced … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Movies | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Some Rhetorical Questions about Love, Foot Washing, and Gaydar

Posted on March 17, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

Questions for the day:  If proposed legislation passes that would “protect” Christian businesses from having to serve gay folks, how will those Christians know who is gay and who is not?  Where exactly is gaydar on those lists of gifts … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Living, Christianity, Homosexuality | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Overflowing with Hope? (A Juvenile Justice Story)

Posted on March 14, 2014 by pastordavesimpson

A post on Facebook this morning got me thinking about the 7 years  I worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer . . . (Name and some details have been changed.) I got to know Thomas when I was working as … Continue reading →

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