By Amy Butler In general, it’s probably not a great idea for the preacher to get too political in his or her day-to-day life. For one thing, waxing poetic on one’s own personal positions can be mistaken for public endorsement…
Missing pieces
By Amy Butler I’ve never been especially good at doing puzzle-like activities. In fact, I don’t like them one bit. For example, I’ve never understood the attraction of those puzzle books kids take on long car rides. I don’t get…
Stewardship of the mundane
By Amy Butler Stewardship season is around the corner, and it isn’t a favorite of mine. Perhaps the pastor shouldn’t say those words aloud, but it’s true. From where I sit, it annoys me that we even have a “season”…
My special place
By Amy Butler While discussing a problem she was having, a friend mentioned needing to go to what she called “her place.” She explained that there was a place up at the top of a mountain where she always goes…
The one constant
By Amy Butler Some things never change, or so they say. I don’t know if that statement is true, but I do know that if some things never change, life is not one of those things. Oh no. The older…
The end of the church as we know it
By Amy Butler Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are…
The end of the world as we know it
By Amy Butler Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are…
The end of the world as we know it
By Amy Butler Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are…
The end of the world as we know it
By Amy Butler Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are…
The end of the world as we know it
By Amy Butler Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are…
‘Rock of Ages,’ draft for me
By Amy Butler When I was little my mom would occasionally leave us for an evening in the sole care of my father, who was tasked with the dinnertime routine for five kids. To keep things interesting, Dad would try…
Thinking inside the box
By Amy Butler The leadership art of “thinking outside the box” sounds progressive and cutting-edge. Everybody is talking these days about thinking outside the box, but the reality of the practice is not all that glamorous. I prefer the leadership…