As I prepare for Lent, I find myself oddly enough thinking about idol worship. We don’t talk a lot about idol worship, even though it’s a constant theme in Scripture (and not just the Old Testament). It seems to be one of those things that we have tossed aside as a dated idea or concept. […]
Today is Ash Wednesday and what marks the beginning of Lent. The celebration or observance of Lent is one of those things that seems to be getting lost in the culture and in our churches. It is not just the mainline churches that should honor this (and other) church seasons as there is a deep […]
Today I had coffee with a colleague that I have gotten to know over the past six months or so. It was the first time we had the chance to sit down one on one and it was a very enjoyable conversation. We talked about a wide variety of things during our time, but it […]
Recently I got to hear somebody speak on the topic of Sabbath and rest. It was an interesting session and even as a spiritual director, I learned a couple new things. There is no question that Sabbath is something that we do not do well in our culture, especially in the church. There is actually […]
Several years ago, a television show came out that has since run its course called My Name is Earl. The show was about a man who won the lottery and as a result felt that fate, or Karma, required him to make up for every bad thing that he had done in his life. The […]
I have long argued that denominations are imperfect institutions but do in fact have great value. My primary view of a denomination is that it is a theological home. As a Lutheran Pastor I do not question my theological home even though there are aspects of the home that I do not love or completely […]
Someone once told me that ‘comparison is the basis of all unhappiness.’ I hate generalizations and global statements even though I often utilize them in my own life. Since that time, I have looked for exceptions to the rule, and have yet to find any once I really analyze the situation. We are a culture […]
About a month ago, I was meeting with another youth worker and we were talking about life, ministry and our own relationship with God. He shared with me a book that he was reading, required as a part of his job. I had not heard of the book, but he showed it to me and […]
Eugene Peterson wrote: “Any place is the right place to begin to pray. But we must not be afraid of ending up some place quite different from where we start.” This is a powerful summary of prayer, but also an amazing challenge to consider when we think about prayer and our prayer life. Whether […]
I have been thinking about fruit lately, particularly in the Biblical sense. In the agrarian culture of Biblical times, fruit is referenced quite a bit. In talking with a youth worker the other day, I made one of those comments that once it came out, I realized there might be something to it. We […]
Recent Comments