“If anyone says that sex, in itself, is bad, Christianity contradicts him at once. But, of course, when people say, ‘Sex is nothing to be ashamed of,’ they may mean ‘the state into which the sexual instinct has now got is nothing to be ashamed of.’ If they mean that, I think they are wrong. I think it is everything to be ashamed of. There is nothing to be ashamed of in enjoying your food: there would be everything to be ashamed of if half the world made food the main interest of their lives and spent their time looking at pictures of food and dribbling and smacking their lips.” […]
Read MoreAntoinette Tuff is the administrative clerk at McNair Discovery Learning Center outside Atlanta, Georgia who confronted a would-be school shooter. Her courage, poise and faith prevented another Sandy Hook tragedy. Here’s a brief interview with her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MelQCClmDD8&feature=player_embedded
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Bob Whitesel’s book of a few years ago has one of the more intriguing titles I’ve come across: “Growth by Accident, Death by Planning.” Whitesel—a nationally known speaker, writer and leader regarding authentic church growth (the adjective “authentic” is important because there are other approaches to church growth that rely more on sociological methods than on biblical principles of Spirit-driven relationships)—says that churches often become their own worst enemies when it comes to leadership. The book’s subtitle is more descriptive: “How NOT to Kill a Growing Congregation.” Whitesel says that young, growing churches make decisions by responding to their circumstances and opportunities. They rely on prayer, intuition and on the […]
Read More“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” –Hebrews 12:28-29
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Sabbatical: An extended period of leave from one’s customary work, especially for rest and to acquire new skills or training. A break or change from the normal employment routine. I just left my congregation for five weeks. I wasn’t ill. No family crisis demanded my presence. Not an extended vacation. Not a forced absence prior to permanent separation. Instead, I took a sabbatical. Every five years of service my church gives each of its ministers time off—separate from our normal vacation time—for a sabbatical. We step back from our regular duties in order to recharge our spiritual batteries as well as to gain new insight and ideas in […]
Read MoreI’m on sabbatical for the next few weeks so I won’t be posting any new blogs until August. This is a time for prayer, reading, writing, visiting some other churches, dreaming new dreams and hanging out with my family. A great gift from my church.
Read More“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” –Saint Augustine
Read MoreI don’t know what to make of the latest chapter of Time Tebow’s life. On Tuesday the New England Patriots signed him to a two-year contract, giving him one more chance to play NFL football. The contract isn’t guaranteed and Tebow will have to make the team before he actually draws any money. Still, the fact a team was willing to take a chance on him at all gives him a second chance at redemption. Like almost everyone else in the country I’ve watched Tebow play football for years. He led the Florida Gators to two national championships, winning the Heisman trophy in 2007. He might have been the best […]
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As a pastor I know first-hand how people talk more about prayer than actually praying. The act of praying takes energy and intentionality. It’s hard and you have to learn how to do it. Many of us prefer instead to discuss it–prayer’s importance, the way we should pray, how people don’t pray enough, how prayer works, the consequences of not praying… the list goes on and on. And all the while we’re simply not praying. Someone came to see me recently who was struggling with a major family issue and the first thing they said was, “I want to pray but don’t know the right words.” The irony […]
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