I grew up singing the great hymns of Wesley, Newton, Spafford, and others. But “And Can it Be” is my favorite. It became indearing to me during college. There was something about that many voices singing it in chapel. The song begins with pain and sorrow. Then it moves into the mystery of the Story. When you […]
Read moreThe Proposal
My son Zack recently got engaged. He prayed and planned, dreamed and schemed, and finally popped the question in a very romantic and creative fashion. Marital customs are very different today than they were in the 1st century. The path that led down the isle would begin with two fathers talking about a […]
Read moreThe Ancient Roots of the Lord’s Supper
Today at sundown the Jewish people will begin to celebrate Passover. As you probably know, Passover comemorates God’s intervention and their release from slavery in Egypt. According to Exodus 12, the tenth plague was the most horrific. The eldest child in every family would die unless a lamb was killed and its blood was brushed […]
Read moreA Huge Blunder in the Balcony
I am incredibly grateful for the church I grew up in. I was loved, nutured, encouraged, corrected, and challenged there. We had traditions that were both local and denominational. The middle schoolers always did a living nativity scene during Christmas. There was always an Easter pageant. We had summer camps and winter retreats. Our Sunday […]
Read moreOn the Way or In the Way
My pastor preached a great message this past Sunday that triggered some thoughts and a memory. It a scene that is seared in my mind and etched on my heart – the video loop of when I became a Christian and even though it looks a lot like many others in our tradition, it […]
Read moreThe Three Most Underrated Messages
I meet all sorts of people in my job. Yesterday I spend most of the day with a film crew. Before guiding them around our community I spent an hour and a half with a gentleman who represents a cancer support organization. At first it was a little hard to get a handle on what […]
Read moreMore Information is NOT the Answer
Back in 1998, I had an opportunity to hear George Hunter III speak. That day he futher unpacked the story I posted on Monday. Hunter had just written a book called, The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West…Again. That book is the most formative work on ministry I’ve ever read. Hunter recaped […]
Read moreThe Story of St. Patrick
Imagine being kidnapped as a teenager. You are taken far from home to a land where you don’t understand the culture or even speak the language. You’re sold to a man and taken to his home. And through a series of gestures, grunts, and pictures you finally realize you will be spending most of the […]
Read moreMy Mentor on Investment
When I was charting out this series it was difficult to pick out only a handful of topics because Jim has taught me so many things over the years. Taught isn’t even the right word. He invested in me. Jim did not consider himself a dispenser of wisdom. He was simply an Everyday Pilgrim…an ordinary […]
Read moreMy Mentor on Grace
We were serving together at a traditionally strong and healthy church. I was still very young and learning what it meant to lead. One day we were talking about the personality of congregations. Some love a harsh presentation from the pulpit…a hefty dose of bad news before we get the good news. Some like to […]
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