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 who is so high above … More Working with Hurting Pastors
Tuesday is for Spiritual Challenge I love my country. Flaws and all, I love it. I think, on balance, it has been a force for good in the world, even with all of its missteps and corruptions. But it is dangerous to live here. Dangerous to the soul. Our affluence, our comforts, and the long … More Fighting the Urge to Live for Comfort, Convenience and Security
Raising babies or raising churches is similar. In both instances you need to pay attention to essential things. If babies don’t get smiled at, held tenderly, talked to, and fed the right foods they won’t thrive. Baby Christians and baby churches are much the same. The Apostle Paul understood this. It is one of Paul’s … More Bringing Up Baby
The idea in this periodic series is to write a poem of personal reflection for each Psalm in the Psalter. This is the offering for Psalm 116. Don’t think of any as high art. Think of these offerings as one poor man’s desire to draw nearer to Christ. New entries will generally appear on Sunday … More The Importance of Pain to Worship
I was reminded of this sculpture as I thought about all the subtractions and deletions and upheaval of the last few months. (7-22-2020) “Melancholy” The artist’s name is Albert Gyorgy. He is Romanian, lives in Switzerland and is semi-reclusive, or at least, it is very difficult to get much information on him. For me, his … More Sorrow and Loss
Reading with the Pastor Psalm 41, Mark 13, and Job 10 Job, the man of God, minus his family, minus his wealth, minus his health, minus the friends he thought he had is in the throes of depression. “I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of … More “I Loathe My Life.”
Our culture is fast-moving toward a pre-Constantinian status. That is, in the foreseeable future, it will take “great conviction and courage to stand for Christ.” mps Yesterday I read a quote by John Howard Yoder, that prior to the conversion of Constantine and the Roman Empire, “it took great conviction to stand for Christ. After Constantine (A.D. … More The Constantinian Problem and Opportunity
She was being interviewed on National Public Radio (NPR). An American actress playing the mother of a special needs child in a new play from London now touring the USA. The play is getting rave reviews as it explores the inner workings of a 15-year-old boy whose parents love, but can’t touch because of his … More Days Without Grace
Friday Musings “Christian.” “I am a Christian.” “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.” “I am a follower of Christ.” Those words have gotten many people killed down through the centuries. It’s part of the cost of being a follower of the Prince of Peace. Jesus promised that it would happen (cf. Mt. 5:11; 10:23; … More Invited to Live by Dying
Tuesday is for Preaching I am re-reading John MacArthur’s Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (Thomas Nelson, 2010). It is such a powerful book and it starts in the preface with a compelling story of a brother in Christ who gave his life in testimony to the beauty and attractiveness of Christ … More When You Say You are a Christian, What Does it Mean?
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