I fear Christians are doing decision-making the wrong way. We are not lone wolves who must discern the will of God on our own. Spiritual gifts like discernment are given for the common good.
Reflection Roundup: Inhale Grace, Exhale Compassion
We’re all about savoring the moments as they come for the wonderment they contain, regardless of what was expected or seems comparatively lacking.
Three Thoughts on Leadership
I want to take a shot at offering three basic frames, or moves, comprising good leadership practice for congregational leaders.
Serenity in the Savage
Next time you feel the savage overcoming the serene, try taking a moment to experience some element of nature.
Leadership for Innovation
We have spiritualized or prioritized the methods over the mission to the point that we think they are one and the same.
Reflection Roundup: Challenged and Changed
Let’s bravely take one another in and notice the reflection of Christ in the eyes we mirror each gift of a day, our motivation pure joy rather than any benefit bestowed.
Pomegranates, Protestants, and Pictures
But are pomegranates and icons really on par with one another? After all, it is not like pomegranates were put in the temple to represent the image of God like Rublev’s icon of the hospitality of Abraham depicts the Trinity.
You Are Loved
I now know (with all my heart) that I am deeply loved. Not because I have minimized my sin and helped others manage theirs, but simply because I exist.
Reflection Roundup: Taking Time
Gratitude, simplicity, taking time. How difficult it can be to digest our own advice; how often we remain shielded from the perspectives of others. Pause; breathe.
Signing Off
Let me encourage ministers everywhere to read. Expand your mind and your heart. You will be a better minister and person for it. And it is fun.
The Long, Slow Death of the Christian Peacemaker
As U.S. Christianity becomes increasingly polarized, those in the dip of the canyon between the two sides are being slowly bludgeoned to death by the rocks meant for the other side.
Church Leaders, Optics, and Why They Matter
I am convinced that, for most church leaders, optics simply reinforce the truth that we care. That we do show up. Optics reflect our hearts.
Reflection Roundup: Unbounding Imagination
Where do we locate the intersections of truth and love within this world? This week, theology and practicality meet in ways that will stretch us all.
“The Last Novel” by David Markson
Markson defines the limits of the postmodern novel, which I know is not going to send many of you rushing out to buy it. (Fiction)
Lessons from the Shark Tank
I watch people talk to each other like other people watch a football game, and Shark Tank is one of my favorite shows for observation and learning.
A Family and the Family
The church family creates proximity to Jesus and a centralizing focus on him, until his identity becomes clear to all in the circle.
“A Secular Age” by Charles Taylor
This book is about religion, to be sure, but it is more an act of history, sociology, philosophy, and cultural criticism. (Nonfiction)
Reflection Roundup: Reframing Our Questions
Looking bidirectionally within history, to what people, ideas, and entities can we allow our questions to be vulnerable so they may be changed?
Exiled: Four Principles to Embrace
Jeremiah says to settle in. Adapt, adjust, and find ways to make a meaningful life in a new environment.
A Time to Speak, Part 1: Guilt
Many of the necessary components in addressing guilt are implicit in Christian community. Acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, and perspective are all necessary companions for this topic.