God’s Best Work
Driving through a tunnel can be fearful experience, especially one that you have never been through before. I once drove through one in the mountains, dark and never-ending. I mean never-ending. It seemed like I would never the see the light of day. Lately, I’ve been thinking about that drive a lot lately. I came…
Pivoting
I've probably heard the word pivot more in the last three months than I have heard it in my entire life. I've probably used the word pivot more in the last three months than I've have in my entire life. In a COVID-19 world, pivoting has become trendy. We are doing things in a new…
6 Things I’ve Learned at the Church Door
I was thinking the other day about what I miss most about having church in-person. There are many things to miss about not being able to gather in-person and when we do, I suspect church will look different for the foreseeable future. It struck me that I really miss church door conversations. Now, I know…
The Holy Spirit as Agitator
This is an approximation of the words I shared during my sermon on May 31, 2020 on Pentecost The Holy Spirit as Agitator We need an agitator in our collective lives. This has been a tragic week in our nation with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On a day when we celebrate the…
The Myth of “Seminary Didn’t Prepare Me for This”
I'm kinda over the phrase, "seminary didn't prepare me for this. I know that clergy use it as comic relief and a way to take out frustration, but the truth is that my seminary education (along with other life experience) DID prepare me for leadership during this time. A big shout out today to Candler…
We Don’t Agree…Now What?
“Go along so we can get along” How many times in your life has someone told you that? It’s never felt very good to me, when another tells me that I should conform to expectations, just so we can move along. It does not create a fulfilling life nor needed change. We like unity. We…
A Response to Local Church Holding In-Person Services
A church in our community made the decision to open its doors, taking precautions. I don’t think it’s the most faithful decision, but what troubles me more are the reasons given for making the decision. Three points this particular church made to which I would like to offer my thoughts: 1. “Not being able to…
Three Observations on Culture and COVID-19
A couple of observations about our current state. In true preacher fashion, I have three points 1. Our ability to put "we" over "me" has been eroding for quite some time. The debate about reopening the economy has shone a bright light on our disconnect. We can't even understand that we wear a mask in…
4 COVID-19 Church Discoveries
Confession time, I don't like the term new normal. Normal is subjective to one's experience and the word normal implies that we all have the same experiences. We are using so much these days because we simply don't know what else to say. We also don't know what life will look like in the coming months, maybe even years.…
