When I quit my job as a pastor eight months ago, I had very different expectations as to how my time as an unprofessionally religious grocery clerk would unfold.
‘If the church is so great, then why are you teaching in seminary?’
During my first class as a professor at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology, I began waxing poetic on my years as a pastor and the glory of preaching: “What could be more wonderful than to imagine your way back…
Scissors, faith see barber through challenges
Antonio Galeno swivels the chair and picks up the scissors. He gracefully yet deftly cuts his client’s hair — all while greeting new customers walking through the door. The grin never disappears from his face. He’s worked hard to start…
Going to bat — the only way humans thrive
I can’t think of many times in my life when I have felt as if no one would go to bat for me. In fact, whenever I tell the story of how I came to faith and later discerned a…
Calling a different kind of pastor
Forbes Magazine shared 5 Hiring Trends to Watch last week which are especially helpful when translated to hiring trends for pastors. As I work with congregations seeking new pastoral leadership, it often feels like we are looking for pastors who fulfill dated…
unprofessional christianity VII: calling.
Ultimately, calling has nothing to do with who hears you, and everything to do with who you hear whispering to you to keep going, even in the dark. Calling isn’t about all the things you’re willing to go through until…
unprofessional christianity VI: believing
When I stopped hiding, defending, answering, and protecting myself from followers of this God using God’s name to justify things they were already going to do regardless of the answers I stammered about the Bible’s place in American society, I…
Unprofessional Christianity, part 3: Dreaming
I still believe folks should encourage us to dream God-sized dreams for our lives, except of course when “God-sized” is simply code for “upper middle class sized,” as I’m not entirely sure it is the divine who has bountifully blessed…
Discerning your call: It’s not just for clergy, say some churches
By Jeff Brumley There is a trend developing, according to media outlets like the New York Times and Huffington Post, in which American universities are trying to help their students become more thoughtful, well-rounded people. So, many of them have…