My British friend Paul Maconochie was once riding in my car as we returned to my home from a retreat. He asked how far it was to the house. I replied, “Only an hour and a half.” His response was…
The future of CEOs — and what that means for the Church
Because compensation for chief executive officers has grown by over 1,000 percent in the last three decades, research dedicated to the profile of these CEOs has proliferated. Because the U.S. church — for good or ill — tends to take…
An increase in exercise — and an increase in obesity?
I have to admit that I am slightly obsessed with counting my steps on my FitBit. My sons talked me into getting one under the premise that I could “friend” people who also have them, and we could “encourage” each…
The ‘Water of Life’ in an age of water scarcity
It’s only a matter of time when two nations go to war not over access to oil, but to water. Bypass the debate about whether climate change is causing this — the reality, according to the United Nations, is that…
Dwelling in silence: the future of noise
I have to admit that I am a headphone snob with a portfolio of devices. There’s my Bose noise canceling set for lawn mowing and air travel. The in-ear set for motorcycling. The Beats wireless for exercise. If you have…
The shackles of shopping in the ‘land of the free’
Let’s start with the undeniable: “You are the target.” You are the subject of massive amounts of research. You cannot begin to imagine the money spent to woo you. Entire industries exist to define, stimulate and trigger your cravings. And,…
Fording the stream, mid-career
Over the next nine months, we will take a big-picture look at the trajectories that shape and reflect our North American lives. We will consider “the future” of things as ordinary as the relationship we have with animals and consumer…
What will it take to unite a divided U.S.? The answer might surprise you.
In the feature story of March’s Atlantic Monthly, James Fallows asks, “Can America Put Itself Back Together?” Fallows’ surprising good news is that he believes America can.
Embracing the power of what we don’t yet know
Can we resist our native evangelical bent for clarity, certainty, closure, purity, decisiveness and (yes) judgment — at least long enough to simultaneously value listening, nuance, creativity and (yes) the fresh wind of the Spirit?
Tapping into vitality with congregational residencies
It’s a sociological axiom of congregational life that what we see indicated in North American megachurches functions as a “canary in the coal mine,” signaling what’s coming for the rest of U.S. congregations. With that in mind, here’s some of…
Why do congregations keep firing their leaders?
In a recent conversation, a pastor whose father was also a pastor related to me this interesting observation. The elder pastor said, “In my generation, if you could really hang your hat on one or two aspects of ministry, you…
A coarsened culture and the community of Jesus
Joshua DuBois, former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, identified in 2010 four points of focus at the intersection of the political, spiritual and social realms. Three of those — loss of fatherhood roles, attempts…