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Coming Aside
I will be taking a “mini-sabbatical” in August. It’s the first time I have tried this. I pastor a small church and we simply can’t afford to go longer with the time frame, but I am grateful for the opportunity to come aside. This sabbatical is crucial. I’ve been pastor at this church for 12 years. Earlier this year I…
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Dead and Not Knowing It
There is a movie called “Frequency” that deals a little with communicating over a 30 year barrier. A son communicates with his father over an old ham radio, but the father had died as firefighter 30 years before. The son saves the dad’s life, but then endangers his mother because of a serial killer. (It’s a long story, so hopefully…
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Whiplash Politics and Reactive Christianity
Another fine column by David Brooks in The New York Times illustrates our extreme unhappiness with all things government. We just can’t be satisfied. Those who want limited government really aren’t happy. Those who want government involvement aren’t happy, either. As Brooks points out, what HAS happened in the past ten years is government has become more pervasive, and that…
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The Liturgies of Our Lives
I am currently working my way through James K.A. Smith’s book, Desiring the Kingdom. Great writer! His analysis is that we all participate in liturgy. Every one of us. Saint, sinner. Believer, unbeliever. We have our liturgies and they form us. His analysis is very similar to that of Dallas Willard, who would say that everyone gets an education. It’s…
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Suggestions for a “mini” Sabbatical
I am taking August off. My time in ministry and teaching has brought me to a place where I need the refreshing. My church is gracious to allow this time off, but a month is all we can afford. My first week will be in solitude at a prayer center. Part of it will be time off with family. In…
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The Call to Follow
I am preaching on the last part of John 1 this Sunday. It is the call to discipleship. John uses key words in describing the process of discipleship. Some of John the Baptist’s followers were pointed toward Jesus, so they followed. They wanted to know where he stayed. His response: “Come and see.” The call to discipleship is the same…
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Limping Along
This semester of teaching has come to an end. The final tests are being administered and graded. It’s been a tough semester in many ways. Sometimes for students there are life issues that overwhelm. While we all like to think in terms of “winners” or “soaring like eagles,” there are many times we find ourselves limping along. Life hits us…
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Quick Hits
There are moments of refreshing. Times when you are thankful for God’s grace in that moment. There are moments when it is grace. You think, “Did someone take a break from bashing another person or organization? What got into them?” But it can happen. Kristof and the NY Times took a break from bashing the Vatican to comment on the…
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Simplicity
“Simplicity is restful contempt for the non-essentials of life.” What a beautiful line. It’s from this article on simplicity. We keep expanding the list of what is “non-essential.” And we get in trouble for it. What I think I must have is such a long list these days. The goal is to pare down. Understand the essentials. This is true…
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The Importance of Bible Memorization
I have been leading my church through a Bible memory exercise the past several weeks. I am not exactly sure what this is doing for them, but it is refreshing my spirit. I used to be a fanatic about Bible memory, and have just slipped horribly in the past several years. Now, I am challenging my church, so I know…
Category: Spiritual Formation
