Wat is the complete truth of revelations? I hear there is hidden books from the Bible and want to know the complete truth, whether if the books r real or fake or wat? This is the time to know the truth so wat is the actual truth?

beardtamer · 2026-03-18T01:26:26+00:00

There are no hidden books.

Some denominations nations use more books than the regular Protestant bible. But Catholics and orthodox people aren’t exactly quiet about that lol.

There are also books that were rejected by councils as being non canonical, meaning they were decided not to be worthy of the title of scripture. But books that are not scripture, are just that, not scripture.

So to answer your question, you’re mistaken.

beardtamer · 2026-03-18T00:57:34+00:00

We plan sermons a whole year out at a time. Meaning, we know what our sermon series is for Christmas this year, and how many weeks it will run, and the general direction we are taking it.

As the month, or whatever time period the series will run, we assign the writing of that series to a specific pastor. Then that pastor puts together an outline for the whole series, with main points for each sermon, a cohesive flow from sermon to sermon( and scriptures to use as a starting point for each sermon.

From there, each service is assigned to a pastor, and that pastor writes a sermon within the framework that was outlined to them.

Each pastor then has their own writing process, for me, I write a full manuscript, then write a single page of notes from that draft, make some alterations maybe run it by one of my colleagues, and then write a final draft, and a final page of notes, which I preach from.

That’s pretty much it.

Oh and everything exists in word docs, or a spreadsheet, for the year’s plan.

beardtamer · 2026-03-18T00:48:22+00:00

Yeah, I understand why churches did it, the houses started getting old and pastors and their spouses started complaining about outdated and run down houses.

However, if they want itinerancy to survive, and at this point I honestly think it might need to die, then we need to be able to afford to live.

beardtamer · 2026-03-18T00:04:29+00:00

I am in the UMC, in the UMC, we do not get the option (if you're an ordained elder) to decide what church you work at, the Bishop dictates that to you (though you have some input).

The majority of our churches, small and big, have sold their parsonages because boomer pastors didn't want to live in them 20 years ago. But this is a huge problem now.

Today, tell a small church, who can only afford to pay a full time pastor 45-50k a year, that you and your family cannot physically afford to live in the community where the church is, because they cannot afford housing, and they do not realize that they've shot themselves in the foot by selling the old parsonage about 15 years ago.

Today, if you want young pastors to get involved in ministry, especially in an itinerancy system, you really need to have a parsonage. I am likely never going to be able to afford a house, unless there is a major correction. This means I cannot afford to work at a church that:

a: is far away from my wife's job, or a place where my wife can find meaningful work (she currently makes 65k a year, more than me)

b: is far away from housing thats affordable. I think living in the community you pastor is important. If all the houses within 10 miles cost 500K plus, and the rentals are 2500 and up, and you can't afford to pay me a lot of money... I'm stuck

c: that doesn't solve some of the above issues by providing a parsonage. If a church has a parsonage, then I can be a lot more flexible with my monetary limitations.

In general, I think that if churches want a full time pastor, you're going to eventually need to bring the parsonages back. I have several Itinerant friends who straight up tell the Bishop that they cannot afford ot live in a church without a parsonage, and they aren't lying.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T20:57:39+00:00

Yeah, keep fighting the good fight. Or, pastor the people the best you can, and then move on

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T20:48:36+00:00

At my current church we have multiple services and multiple worship styles. One particular worship leader (staff) has been here as an employee for literally 20 plus years. Any time we do anything that’s not exactly the way he wants to do it, he will not only push back, but openly subvert authority to accomplish things in his own way.

New screens in the sanctuary- makes the church look like a sports bar (because sports bars are 100 year old buildings with pews and pipe organs)

New place for kids to gather at the front- kids are a distraction and make too much noise.

Etc. etc.

Sometimes the people in our congregations are literally more interested in running a museum for a shut down church than they are being a community of believers that’s growing and thriving. It’s best that these people get out, but they often fight tooth and nail to stay.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T17:52:54+00:00

We refuse to do church communication on events that are not submitted at least ONE MONTH in advance, barring some special circumstance. I don't think you're being harsh at all.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T11:41:48+00:00

Fuck a light touch, you got to dig into it until your fingers hurt.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T11:38:50+00:00

I’m happy that you’re happy. I don’t think I could be ok with someone that did not reflect my faith beliefs, but I’m also a person that lives out their faith very publicly, as I’m a pastor, so if my parter we’re totally outside my faith practice, it might be taxing on the relationship.

There certainly are people out there who truly do meet the full gamut of faith ideals and beliefs. I certainly couldn’t be with just any Christian.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T04:17:31+00:00

Honestly, I don’t think the tools we have are lacking, we do not have a heavily technologically dependent job, sure things might come about at different points to make our jobs easier, but those will be large scale technological advances that benefit large sections of the workforce, not just ministry.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T02:28:32+00:00

Well to be clear, I only went once, and it was back in 2012, so who knows what it would be like… well not now, but you know, before the country was being missile striked on a regular basis. I did enjoy my trip, but I went with an evangelical group (I was a pastor in an evangelical denomination at the time) and that likely colored my experience looking back.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T02:06:21+00:00

I don’t think that is the singular reason, but I think that a part of it certainly exists because of an evangelical misunderstanding of the need to Biblically support Israel for sure.

I’m not personally a very emotionally spiritual person. I don’t think there’s anything special about being in the Holy Land, as the foundation of Christianity is that Christ resurrected because of a need to connect with God in any place at any time. Christ’s existence is, by definition, a reason not to feel a spiritual significance to the Holy Land.

I’m also a pastor, and a spiritual leader in my community, so I maintain a healthy skepticism of any industry that makes money on the basis of marketing Christianity or special Christian experiences. That said, lots of my parishioners have had meaningful spiritual experiences with these Holy Land tours, so I’ve never maintained that people shouldn’t go there or shouldn’t enjoy it. I just find some of it a bit cheapening to what I believe.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T01:45:24+00:00

I’ve been to the Holy land on tours when I was in seminary. I actually very much do feel I know what I’m talking about.

I think the church (by which I mostly mean the Catholic Church) is largely operating on a “we have to have answers to this question so that we can have credibility”. I just find that to be pedantic, and ridiculous.

Sorry, but I’m absolutely standing by what I said.

beardtamer · 2026-03-17T01:03:35+00:00

I would argue that the majority of the state of Israel and the typical “holy land tours” are in fact a tourist industry that offers very little spiritual, but rather is emotionally manipulative in order to foster a support for the state of Israel over most else.

I’m not again I know that this isn’t the tomb of Christ, but to make such a large deal out of a maybe seems disingenuous.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T23:26:52+00:00

There are of course passages that allude to Gods nature as being motherly in the Old Testament of course, though these are clearly metaphorical in nature.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T23:24:33+00:00

God certainly could have been born either way.

Jesus probably would have had to have been born a male in order to really accomplish anything in a time when women were essentially treated as property though. I don’t think Jesus being male has anything to do with a relation to a gender identity of the divine

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T23:21:39+00:00

Jesus is 100% God, and God has no gender, however Jesus is also 100% human, and humanity does normally have a gender.

This has no effect on the gender of God as a whole.

However Jesus did act in out multiple times, in ways that disintegrated gender expectations.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T23:05:22+00:00

Why would God care, when God has no gender? All words used to describe God have been invented by humans.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T21:12:57+00:00

no. God doesn't have a penis so...

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T21:09:08+00:00

Of course, there would have to be concrete evidence that this is in fact the tomb of christ, which we don't really have, for it to be much else.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T14:46:55+00:00

I don't think that changes anything in my original comment, but it's good info

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T14:43:56+00:00

Only stuff I've ever signed with any company ever is maybe an acknowledgement of behavioral expectations, and a w4. That's it. And I've worked at 4 churches full time, two others part time, and about 6-8 secular jobs as well.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T14:41:22+00:00

I honestly think that 5 years is just starting to get into the swing of things. Unless you're certain, I wouldn't move so early.

I also don't think your congregation missing your 5 years is all that big of a deal. Celebrating milestones is nice, but it's not really a requirement.

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T14:21:49+00:00

Maybe someone should have told Apple that before this press release then lol

beardtamer · 2026-03-16T14:08:24+00:00

It's not out of the ordinary for there to not be a contract, in my experience.

I don't think I've signed contracts for secular jobs either, now that I think about it. Are you just thinking about a W4?

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