9/20/2017
Fall is on the Way When I was involved in campus ministry, I had a student whose spiritual discipline involved jumping in the leaves of fall. She would bring in a few colorful maple leaves when she visited me, and we would toss the leaves on the floor and see the random pattern that would happen. We would then talk about how God's love is purposeful, but at times it feels like a lot like a leaf being tossed around by the wind during fall. The image of a large orange and red maple leaf that ...
9/6/2017
I have a fundamental belief that churches need to produce disciples who build bridges between very different cultures and that part of recognizing different cultures is to understand the differences in people. Perhaps it’s my age speaking, but I’m convinced more than ever that we don’t need to “build bridges” with people who look the same, think the same, serve the same, act the same, worship the same, or who are the same as we are. I look at it differently, I suppose, and my ...
8/9/2017
I get excited when I hear, see, or read a quest or a hero’s/heroine’s journey. Many of these stories feature a character that has a problem and meets a mentor with a plan to help the character resolve his or her problem. In many ways, each church is called to take the journey or quest to figure out how to engage its community, organize its experiences, and imagine new ways to connect people with Jesus. By offering individuals a clear choice of what is (the present situation) a plan (the ...