At one point on my recent trip to the Middle East an Army chaplain said to me with tears in his eyes, “We are at the beginning of something like the Protestant Reformation, and Father Nabil Haddad is like Martin…
Ash Wednesday gets us dirty — for good reason
Ash Wednesday is special day for many Christians. I grew up in a Baptist church and never got to experience it as a child. I wish I had because it is a beautiful display of the gospel and now one…
What does your congregation expect of people connected with it?
Jason slipped into a seat at the back of the worship center just after the choir entered. This was his first time at worship this month. He grew up in church as part of a family present practically every time…
A long journey home
This is the third of three posts by Jason Coker, written in the days before and after his father died on Jan. 27. The first post can be read here and the second here. Jan. 30, 2015 I got the…
Redeeming the goodbyes
This is the second of three posts by Jason Coker, written in the days before and after his father died on Jan. 27. The first post can be read here. Jan. 16, 2015 I didn’t realize that this phone call…
The spiritual practice of creating margin
Diary of a wimpy church
The delightful New York Times best-seller ” Diary of a Wimpy Kid ” details Greg Hefley’s misadventures in middle school as told through cartoon entries in his diary. He records his insights and questions, his frustrations and aspirations.
Happy birthday, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Don’t Push the River
Our guide shouted, “Don’t push the river!” I was white-water rafting (poorly) down the Amazon. With the raft swirling and the water splashing, the guide’s command made about as much sense as choosing what you are supposed to do with…