There’s an ugliness I face every time I write a sermon: competition. I compete with myself, and I compete with the guys.
If Sweatshirts Could Talk
I have this old sweatshirt that I’ve had since eighth grade. And I wonder, if this sweatshirt could talk, what would it tell me about my life and myself?
Leadership As Listening
When we think of great leaders, we tend to think of people who were great speakers. But to be great leaders, we need to start by listening to those who are under our care.
Women Know Things: An Untapped Epistemic Advantage
An epistemic advantage is “a critical, perspectival edge created by experiencing oppression personally or empathically.”
Resource Highlight: What the Church Health Assessment Is Teaching Us
As more churches utilize this health assessment, emerging trends shed light on common struggles and strengths.
Sibyl, Eliot, and Jesus
We preach life after death, denying death its victory, but perhaps we forget that death has always brought life.
At Least Try Not to Say “At Least”
When Jesus encounters hurting people he doesn’t ever say, “Just get over it,” or, “Everything happens for a reason.”
A Crowded Sabbath
Sabbath is when our fists unclench and our shoulders soften. This renewed posture melts into place against all worldly resistance as we listen to souls breathe in stillness.
Attack the Hill!
Fred Craddock suggests that, rather than respond to the world’s bad news, we proclaim the good news.
The Giving Church
Even in the moments when I stand behind the pulpit asking for funds, like Paul I already know my church is eager to help.
What Do Stress, Jesus, and Self-Compassion Have to Do with Eating?
Just because I am a therapist doesn’t mean I am immune to eating and body image struggles.
God, the Week from Hell, and We Won Anyway
Satan wanted to rob us of our joy and peace. He wanted us to be afraid and to panic.
Jesus’s 12 Rules for Life (Part 3)
The most important things in life are things you can’t buy. Go outside more. Step back for a minute. God is closer than you think.
Face It – It’s Not Just the Millennials
Is there a generation who doesn’t need more patience or persistence? I don’t think so.
It Makes a Difference
Do you remember bus ministry? I recall a time when those of us enamored with church growth smirked about bus ministry and considered it a fad at best.
Mormons, Refugees, and Addicts
We believe every person has come to the assembly of God’s people for a reason. Yet I am always surprised at who God brings our way.
Ministry with a Small Church of the Anawim
At a time when smaller churches struggle to stay alive, one has to wonder why. I believe the reasons are complex yet simple: far too many of us are trying to serve two masters.
Helping Our Children Choose Baptism
It is a tragedy if certain children are more invited into this beautiful ritual than others are.
Episode 19: Off the Road with Willie, Johnny, and the Boys
One of the early losses due to “the fire in my bones” was my ability to travel and speak.
Remembering Your Baptism
Baptism is not merely a ritual of initiation; rather, it is an active participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.