Far more contagious than the coronavirus, anxiety is actively infecting our congregations and those who lead and serve them.
“Booked” by Kwame Alexander and “Gabriel” by Edward Hirsch
I am intentionally juxtaposing these two long poems. One tells a story of a boy growing up. One mourns a son who will not grow old. (Fiction)
Braving the Wilderness or Returning to What Is Known?
When we aren’t sure what to do or where to start, we go back to what is familiar, comfortable, “normal.”
Why Read “The Cost of Discipleship”?
This is a book I have read many times over by now. I still continue to gain new insights into what it means to live grace.
“The Parade” by David Eggers
You might call it parable-like or allegorical, but in the short time it took me to read it, I found my unease rising with every page. (Fiction)
Got Peace?
Peace is not the absence of conflict; it’s living in the presence of God in a restored relationship with him through Jesus Christ.
“Malcom X” by Manning Marable
I highly recommend this book as an education on the part of the civil rights movement that many of us know little about. (Nonfiction)
Pertinacity and General Grant
I’m more inspired to think about we are going to do ourselves, rather than what circumstances are going to do to us.
“The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt
The novel’s protagonist is 13-year-old Theo Decker whose mother, having taken him on an outing to the museum, is killed. (Fiction)
Resource Highlight: What the Church Health Assessment Is Teaching Us About Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses
In this article, we look at member perceptions of leadership strengths and weaknesses in their congregation.
A Christian Yogi Preacher
I believe that God is present and at work in the church, the yoga studio, drug-infested neighborhoods, and anywhere else.
Where Did They Go?
Where are our sheep? They are scattered. It is time to invite them back into the care and life of the Christian story!
The Dementia Dilemma: A Pastoral Response
I want to offer some concrete suggestions on how to provide spiritual care and support to members of your communities whose loved ones are affected by dementias/cognitive impairments and/or in living facilities during this time of heightened precautions.
“Jesus Land” by Julia Scheeres
I'm no great fan of memoirs. They generally strike me as self-absorbed. If you are like me in that way, I would encourage you to make an exception with this one. It is a moving and transforming experience. (Nonfiction)
We Need a Ministry of Presence
What this person needed was someone to take the brunt of their anger, who would sit with them while they screamed.
Churches and Leaders as Instruments of Peace (Resource)
You don’t need me to tell you that our world is fractured and divided. Truth is, it always has been.
“Today I Wrote Nothing” by Daniil Kharms
His stories are generally short and quirky and every now and then there is one you think is going to go somewhere and then it doesn’t. (Fiction)
How to Get What You Deserve
May we (praise God) not get what we deserve, but something deeper and better and stronger than our best thoughts can grasp.
Five Things I Would Do Right Now if I Were the Devil
The pandemic has given Christians a great opportunity to share their faith. But if I were Satan, here are five things I would do to be sure the church fumbles this opportunity.
“The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading” by Ian Rowland
The book is not particularly about whether psychic abilities may actually exist. Rather, it offers a description of the methods that psychics use to manipulate their customers. (Nonfiction)