One year I went to a denominational national conference and arrived onsite to find that the conference was offering 78 different major sessions, seminars or short classes to the collected conferees. It was an attempt to be helpful, that I felt was doomed to backfire. At the time I served with three other pastors a … More A Story, A Point, and A Book
I observed a great pastoral lesson today in the local Panera. I arrived at the restaurant shortly before 9AM. A soccer coach was already sitting with a father and his nine year old son at a table. My appointment with a young man I am discipling went long and by 11:30, I noticed pairs of … More Pastoral Lessons from a Soccer Coach
This is the path and my new place for getting alone with God. That’s my house in the background. And this is the new path I cut on land I don’t own to a pond that is not mine either. But it is a short walk from my garden and with the chair in a … More Making a Place / Room for God
It was an innocent question. I’m sitting at a pastor’s retreat acting as one of a team of four mentors seeking to encourage 15 pastors, with one exception, the oldest of whom is 50, most of which are in their 20’s or 30’s. “What will you take away from this week?” I’ve listened to a … More An Apex Predator Stalking Younger Pastors
[Updated on June 6, 2023] The other day I was asked if I wanted to be called “reverend”. “No!” was my quick and nearly four decade old answer. I want no part of “honorific” titles. I am, and many of my compatriots in ministry feel totally unworthy of honor. We are servants of a King … More Working with Hurting Pastors
I am working with a new ministry. Standing Stone Ministry is a ministry to pastors in crisis. We work with pastors who are about to throw in the towel in defeat and discouragement. Our prayer and plan is devoted to coming along side pastors who are on the verge of burnout from the demands of … More You are Not Fine (Neither Am I)
Shepherds of flocks will sometimes put small stones on the top of the stone enclosures for their sheep. The idea is that if a thief or threat to the flock (bear, hyena, lion, or wolf) climbs over the wall to harass the sheep, the tumbling stones will alert both sheep and shepherd that an intruder … More Tumbling Stones and the Art of Pastoral Care
Thursday Musings Yesterday, I was reading Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening devotional and ran across the gem below. It has been gently edited by Alister Begg to update the language a bit but with no substantive change from the original (I checked). This is not the full devotional, just the beginning paragraph that I found helpful … More Spurgeon on the Effect of Conversion
The video above show the stunning impact of one man’s hatred. Hitler and the National Socialist Party’s (NAZIs) gave the world a history lesson that we need to relearn. Socialism is regression. Politics, Environment, World View, Cultural Engagement The Reason Renewables Can’t Power Modern Civilization Article from Forbes documenting the difficulty and checkered history … More Weekend Links to Make You Think and Laugh and Maybe, Pray
Christianity, Help for Preachers, Devotion “Oh, . . . and I’m Bi-Sexual” Some counsel on how to relate to the faddish announcement of sexual experimentation. Preaching through Romans? If you are preaching through or studying the book of Romans, after you have read the book, and read the book again, this would be a … More Weekend Links: Sobering Help for Sinning Saints
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