In November 2011 I had the privilege of hearing N.T. Wright speak. His lecture title was, “How God Became King.” It’s been over a year since that day and it still sits as one of the more profound moments in…
When Christmas isn’t the ‘Most Wonderful Time of the Year’
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! Only it’s not. Not for everyone. Not when he’s still…
Why am I so tired?
I’ve spent the last three months moving at what feels like a break-necking pace. From the demands of being a bi-vocational pastor to juggling calendars, spending four weekends attending weddings, buying my first home, moving, preaching, leading two weekend retreats,…
Redefining what it means to be great
Pride is essentially competitive; it’s competitive by its very nature. We are not prideful because we are rich, clever, or good-looking. We are prideful because we think we are richer, clever-er, and better-looking. It’s the comparison that makes us proud….
“. . . as you love yourself.”
If Jesus were pastoring in a mainline, Protestant church today, and were asked the same question scribes and scholars ask in Mark 12.28-31 (What is the greatest commandment?), I think he’d omit the “. . . as you love yourself”…
Asking Good Questions
“[And] they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2.46, NRSV) This month hundreds of thousands of students flock back to school ready to learn, ready to read, and ready to…
How spaces become places
Have you ever thought about the difference between places and spaces? A place (as I would define it) is a location with determined boundaries. A space is the opposite; it is a location with undetermined boundaries. Examples may help here….
Why the world needs ‘Glee’
By J. Barrett Owen In a postmodern, post-denominational, post-Christian, post-religious, post-everything world, the church has floundered on developing a consistent message to help transform culture. The church attempted to entertain, but not many 20-somethings woke up to hear a bad…
What Fox says that the church doesn’t
In a postmodern, post-denominational, post-Christian, post-religious, post-everything world, the church has floundered on developing a consistent message to help transform culture. The church attempted to entertain – but not many twenty-somethings woke up to hear a bad guitarist sing shallow…
A lever and a place to stand
Third century mathematician, Archimedes, coined the phrase, “Give me a lever and a place to stand and I’ll move the world.” At the time he was talking about the power of a tool that uses force and a fulcrum to…
Must you honor a parent who has hurt you?
By J. Barrett Owen Churches this Sunday will give out a rose and clap for the oldest mother in the sanctuary. They will sing songs about family and pay no attention to the females who haven’t birthed a baby. They…