In Luke’s story about Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple ( Luke 2:22-40) they meet two prophets, Simeon and Anna, both well along in years. Simeon and Anna had been patiently waiting and looking for “the redemption of…
Why I’m NOT quitting Facebook in 2015: A response
Gary Taylor recently posted his full-page ad Don Draper style: this is the year he’s quitting Facebook. I want to persuade him to stay. Don’t go Gary! Gary worries that social media is putting us in a virtual world that…
When the wind blows
As a cyclist, I’m always aware of the wind. Thinking of the wind today reminded me of living in Oklahoma where a constant, ceaseless wind never leaves you alone. Like a pushy neighbor, wind squeezes uninhibited and uninvited through the…
When her good news makes you feel bad
“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” – Wayne Dyer I think comparison and competition exist partly because we believe that there is a scarcity of good things in the universe. And that belief makes…
Nine observations about announcements in worship services
To have or not to have announcements in the worship services? That is the question many church leaders ask today. And indeed there are several tendencies or trends related to announcements, and they are often related to the size of…
The only two questions any pastor should be asking right now
Pastors spend a lot of time solving problems, and that means asking questions. Unfortunately, most of those questions are unimportant, even trivial. I know this because I’ve wasted plenty of my own time wondering about these same things.
Prayers for 2015
In this first blog article of 2015, I am reflecting back on the year that has just ended and am sharing some of my prayers for the year that lies ahead. First, I pray for health and happiness for all…
Matter matters
If Christmas means anything, it is that matter — the stuff of flesh and protons and quarks and quasars — matters. It matters to God. He became it. It amazes me how often I heard language that spiritualizes Christianity more…
Seven myths about a pastor’s workweek
It is an old joke, one that is still told too often. You go up to your pastor and say, “I wish I had your job; you only have to work one hour each week.” It is likely your pastor…