Spiritual Growth
Teach Us to Pray
“Teach us to pray.” The disciples made this simple, but profound, request of Jesus as they observed him praying. There was something in his way of praying that stirred them to want more for themselves. Their desire prompted him to teach his disciples what we now call The Lord’s Prayer. As believers, we have all…
Read MoreThe Church Needs Spiritual Formation
How is it that such a seemingly innocuous term generates so much misunderstanding and concern? In conversations with ministry leaders and pastors, who boldly proclaim Christ, there has been confusion about discussing spiritual formation – using words like “fuzzy” or “squishy” or simply choosing to not address it at all. The disinclination to identify with…
Read MoreUnderappreciated Hope
The Underappreciated Effect of Hope Our family was recently spending time with some good friends at their farm. The farmer was almost done milking cows and needed help distracting his kids. He suggested I take all of the kids (7 boys including mine) and drive them out to the tree house on the golf cart.…
Read MoreAre you making progress?
Last summer our family made the trek north to Acadia National Park. This was new territory for us. The journey between central Pennsylvania and New York City has been well traveled, but beyond that we had no idea what the region would hold for us. I believe in my abilities to navigate most situations while…
Read MoreDepression and the Path of the Pastor
CAPTAIN OBVIOUS Pastoring has changed in many ways from the way I entered it 33 years ago. The expectations are now so different. Not just the expectations of others, but the expectations we have for ourselves. As podcasts have become available, the obvious challenge is: Can I keep up with the quality/level of preaching of…
Read MoreNot For Them – For You
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are…
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