Your congregation will rise up and call you blessed if you read this book. (Nonfiction)
Creating a Safe Space
Jesus touches people and heals them. He defends them against their accusers. He embraces the unembraceable.
“Tenth of December” by George Saunders
The ability to say a great deal in a very short time is a skill preachers can learn from great short story writers. (Fiction)
Jesus Is not God’s Stress Ball
It makes no sense that we would be called out of our life of wrath by an act of wrath.
“Mama’s Last Hug” by Frans de Waal
I seriously doubt that you will get to the end of this book without believing that our non-human co-creatures have rich and nuanced emotional lives. (Nonfiction)
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon
Preachers are given to telling stories, and sometimes you want to tell a story (perhaps a biblical one) with someone’s voice other than your own. (Fiction)
Marriage and the Church
Our marriages demonstrate the uniting work God is doing in the world. Our faithfulness to those marriages proves that Jesus will be faithful to those God unites.
Equipping for Ministry: Coming Soon to a Texas City Near You
We invite you to set aside the busyness of life and enjoy good food, link arms with co-laborers in ministry, and let someone else pour into you.
“The Unlikely Disciple” by Kevin Roose
Roose decides to go to Liberty University for a year and let everyone believe that he is an evangelical just like they are. This is very much like going to a foreign country. (Nonfiction)
He Stills Storms Still: A Meditation (Part 3)
Could it be that the real question is not, “Who is this that even the wind and sea obey him?” but rather, “Who is this who sleeps through storms?”
“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro
This book is not about the issue of cloning. It is about clones we get to know personally as human beings. (Fiction)
For Shepherds Who Are Facilitating Gender Inclusion, Remember to Talk About Jesus
No matter what complex question was thrown at him, Jesus remained laser-focused on love and redemption.
Little Things Matter
Little things can change the entire story. And if you aren’t diligent in the little things, can you be trusted to pay attention to the big things?
“Whistling Vivaldi” by Claude M. Steele
What cues for a negative stereotype are we sending out often without even knowing it? And how can we create a culture that will maximize learning for all kinds of people? (Nonfiction)
Top 10 of 2019
A look back at our most popular articles in 2019.
One of the Family: Becoming a New Minister in a Small Church
Becoming a minister of a small church means, for better or worse, you have married into a family.
“11/22/63” by Stephen King
Our intrepid hero goes back in time in an attempt to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing JFK. Will he succeed, and would it be a good thing if he did? (Fiction)
Christmas: More Than a Gift
I do not know what the future holds for these kids, but my gifts to them are no longer about Christmas; they’re a statement of my hopes and dreams that they will be great.
Faithfully Distressed
How do we handle spiritual distress as ministers and faith communities? We start by assuring people that distress and crisis are normal.
“Wave” by Sonali Deraniyagala
What do you do when life hits you with grief and pain that is so overwhelming that there are no words for it? If you are a writer with Sonali Deraniyagala’s skill, you write the unspeakable. (Nonfiction)