I want you to pull my britches down …. Say again? And on cue, as if the song could read my thoughts. I heard the same line for a second time. Nightmare scenarios started running through my head involving my…
Santa, Elmo and Jesus
By R. Kevin Johnson Over Thanksgiving dinner this year, our friends asked my wife and me about striking a balance between secular and sacred influences during the holidays. They wanted to know about the “magical” part of this season and…
I pray with my eyes open
When I began professional ministry as a young single minister, on Sunday mornings all I needed were my keys, my wallet, and my Bible. Flash-forward six years, and I was packing a bag with diapers, wipes, bottles, a change of…
7 things I (re)discovered on sabbatical
C.S. Lewis once said that most of us don’t need to be told new things, but rather reminded of old truths. This has certainly been true in my own journey these past few months. On June 1, I entered into…
In praise of the undazed life
“Why stand ye gazing . . . ?” (Acts 1:11) My Dad wasn’t the least bit athletic; nor were others in his family. So we’re not sure where my sporting interest and coordination came from. I played every kind of…
Why dads matter
I grew up in the television heyday of the family sitcom. Shows like The Cosby Show, Full House, Step by Step, Home Improvement, The Wonder Years, Boy Meets World, Family Matters, and so on were hugely popular and as far…
‘Inside Out’ asserts children are stronger than we think
There is a wonderful line in To Kill a Mockingbird. After Atticus and Jem return from a visit to the Robinson home, where Atticus is called an ugly name, Atticus looks at his son, Jem and says, “There’s a lot…
I tweet; therefore, I am
A little over 2 months ago, my son was born. And, as I’ve taken a rather mushy and decidedly projectile-heavy absence from writing things for free on the internet, I’ve encountered an altogether unexpected feeling. Mainly, that I didn’t miss…
8 topics that ought to be on every youth minister’s agenda
One of the hardest jobs in a church these days is that of youth minister. Not just because the schedule of activities can be grueling or the work can be physically demanding. The reason, instead, is ever-increasing demands placed on…
Think twice before you leave the traditional church
So you’re thinking about leaving the traditional church where you were raised and heading for the big-box megachurch down the way because your kids like the music? You’re not alone. This is happening all across America, not only in major…
The myth of the elite young athlete
I recently received an email from my brother-in-law that contained several video links. “Tell me what you think.” My brother-in-law wrote. I clicked and opened each link and watched my 8-year-old nephew goaltending a lacrosse goal. The video contained the…
Parenting in the age of Paw Patrol: Drones and the formation of children
My children, like many, enjoy cartoons. While my wife and I are careful to limit the amount of television they watch, our children still have several shows that they frequent more often than others, including a recent Nickelodeon show titled…