Life
Friendly Fire: 3 Ways To Avoid The Casualties
I have a problem. I am good at seeing the flaws in other’s ministries. Not so much in the beneficial “let me help you out” way, but in a prideful way that looks down on others from above. I can see why things won’t work, why others are wrong, and why they shouldn’t do it…
Read MoreWhen Normal Gets Broken
Happy anniversary! This week, we recognize that it has been a full year since the world changed. Twelve months of mask-wearing, getting groceries delivered, and ordering too much take-out to “support small businesses.” It’s also been 12 months that we have been waiting for everything to get back to normal. But normal was broken. It’s…
Read MoreWhat About The Dark Nights?
Grief can be deeply isolating. Even our closest friends may pull away—not because they don’t care, but because lament is difficult to witness. The raw pain of a broken heart can feel disorienting, unsettling, and messy. This is especially true when the grieving person is someone we expect to be “strong” in their faith. When…
Read MoreHow to Pastor the Political Crazies
In just a few seconds on social media, pastors can discover a great deal about their church members. We can learn all about their kids’ accomplishments, what they had for dinner last night, and even, if you care to know (I do not), how intuitive their cats happen to be. We can also discover just…
Read MoreOur Two Conversations
For some time, I’ve had two conversations with two very different groups of my Christian family. One is with white Christians and the other with African-American Christians, both mostly evangelicals, although many of the African-Americans don’t use that label. Most often the conversations are in the larger church community rather than in the church I…
Read MoreLet Him Be Teacher
Most people started the year by capitalizing on the novelty and nuances that came along with its introduction. Witty sayings emerged, even within the Church, like: Gospel Focus, Remain Focused, Keep Your Eyes On Jesus, 2020 Bible Vision, Focus 2020 – and here’s a good one, 2020 Vision. Nevertheless, it seemed that the Church had…
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