I am convinced that our spiritual lives aren’t defined by the mountaintop experiences but, instead, by the ways in which we utilize and redeem the wholly ordinary moments of our daily lives.
Shell-Shocked Preacher
If you are wounded and shell-shocked, I want to encourage you to find some healing. Do something that is life-giving, and please listen for the prompting and the timing of the Spirit.
Nuremberg Funnel: Reenvisioning the Work of Leadership
A look at three metaphors that help teachers re-envision the work of education: pilgrimage (journey), gardening, and building.
Depression and Doubt
While I never stopped believing in God during my struggle with depression; I questioned God’s involvement in my life deeply. Was God there? Did God care? Why was God so unresponsive?
The Crossroads of Art and Faith: A Contemporary Christian Conversation
Dan McGregor discusses the value of art to faith in an image-based culture, highlighting how art has the potential of conveying the divine in a way that words alone cannot.
Shocking Judgment
When you are a preacher or teacher, every experience becomes a raw material for teaching. I hope the implications of this analogy are obvious and you might come up with your own in your messages.
The Best Offense: Defending Orphans for the Sake of the Kingdom
Psalm 10:12-18 lays out God’s plan for defeating evil, and it’s pretty simple: “defending the fatherless [orphan] and the oppressed” (10:18).
The War on Advent
Advent is a reminder that we still wait for the Messiah. As a people who live in the “now and not yet” of the kingdom of God, we await the return of Christ.
Engaging Depression
People battling depression need loving words, emotional support, encouragement, and presence. While medicine and counseling are often vital in winning the battle against depression.
Pick a Side
It is in these times when it is most imperative that I remember my true calling as a Christian – to love each and every person as Jesus does.
A Lesson to Learn Before the Next Election
When the next election comes, it may be bitter and divisive. The candidates and their policies will not reflect Jesus. That is how the world works. Remind your people it will be okay. Set the example.
Holiday Sufferers
We would prefer is a simple greeting, a heartfelt smile, and freedom from having to relate a “spun” or flat out untruthful rendition of what we got for Christmas or what wonderful family gathering we had.
Treating Depression
Is there a cure for this pain? Is there a way out of this darkness? Is there light that will break through these clouds? Is there hope for a better future? Yes.
Blue Skies, No Rainbows (Part 1)
We are only strong because our relationships have withstood conflict. And we can only grow from the conflict if we are willing to engage. So the choice is ours: engage or withdraw.
Healing the Wounds of Political War through Advent
Many churches feel as if they have been through war. Advent offers the possibility of helping to heal the wounds of war in our midst.
A Meditation on Psalm 23
So today I will say yes instead of no to what is gained in darkness. I will take my hands off my ears and stop closing my eyes to the invitation to intimacy that is found uniquely in darkness.
Reframing Depression
We must debunk these myths in order to understand depression more fully. Only then can we intervene in ways that will truly be helpful.
Healthy Responses for Church Leaders: What is “Health” Anyway?
I think a lot of how we think of pastoral care is actually care that’s happening at the intervention level of spiritual health.
You Want Me to Do What?!
Spiritual growth is considered work, then it becomes work, instead of wonder-filled. So, I would like to suggest one spiritual discipline that is likely missing from your life: PLAY.
Thanksgiving as Color Vision
When we neglect to give God thanks, our hearts become darkened, and we perceive everything in shades of grey. Our minds spin in futility, unable to grasp the reality of colors beyond our grasp.