It has been 36 years since Max Lucado debuted his first book, and even he is amazed how far he’s come since 1985. Just a few years prior to that, he was an associate pastor tasked with writing the church’s…
Repressing my sexual orientation cost me my health — permanently
I can’t remember what it feels like to not be in pain. It’s been years since I’ve had the energy of a healthy person. The litany of physical symptoms that rage war in my body daily are a result of…
Cynical hostility linked to greater risk of cardiovascular disease
Heart health has something to do with attitude, according to a new Baylor University study on stress and cardiovascular disease. The most deadly attitude is “cynical hostility,” according to the study, which was published in the journal Psychophysiology. That carrying a hostile…
The blight of insecure leaders in the wake of our national crises
Confronted by the plagues of coronavirus and racism, our country needs clarity and focus from its leaders, something insecure leaders are incapable of offering.
What self-care means for pastors and other church leaders in a time of crisis | #intimeslikethese
In these unprecedented times, it’s important for all of us to remember that, because we’ve never been precisely here before, there is no template, map, app or handbook for the right way to lead and to be church.
Church and the coronavirus: practicing compassion and care even as we take precautions
I hope churches and other faith communities will find ways to celebrate the call to care for one another, even in – perhaps especially in – times of planetary peril.
The chaos of waiting
Clearly there had been some mistake. Mark was thirty-four-years old and healthy. He had never even spent a night in the hospital. We had a two-year-old son. We had plans for a vacation and our careers and our family. How…
An open letter to Tennessee
EDITOR’S NOTE: In an effort to report on the prophetic witness of Christians in America today, RLC has run several posts in the past year on the Moral Movement, which began in North Carolina and has now spread to 14…
How a Mountain Hike is Like a Congregation’s Transformation Journey
How is taking a mountain hike like a congregation’s transformation journey? Not much unless . . . Before you read too far let me admit this article took shape during a mountain hike with my family was in North Carolina…
Healthy self-care is essential for a pastor
Self-care includes developing and maintaining good physical, spiritual and mental health, a uniquely challenging but crucial discipline for a pastor. While these three areas of wellness are intertwined and inseparable, in my own life and the experience of many of…
Lessons about church conflict from the government shutdown
Now that the USA government shutdown is over–at least for a while–let’s reflect on the lessons churches can learn from the shutdown about conflict. Many of these are lessons of what not to do. These lessons are also politically neutral….
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,…