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 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…
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.…
Kobe
Two phenomenon are on my heart today. The first is celebrity... I can't imagine being thrust on a national stage like Kobe Bryant was as an 18 year old. Would you want the world watching your 18-year old self? He was not a perfect human being, making mistakes along the way. We all have. It's…
5 Resolutions for the Church in 2020
2020 is here and if you attended a religious community this weekend, you have perfect attendance for the year. Congratulations! A new year brings new opportunity and a chance to reset our priorities and practices. Church folks are busy taking down the Advent and Christmas decorations and thinking about what 2020 might hold. Many are…
Five Things: Guatemala Trip
Whenever I return from any mission travels, people want to know, "How was the trip?" Even though I practice my elevator speech, it never feels quite adequate enough to fully describe the experience. Earlier this month, 10 of us from Geist Christian Church traveled to Panajachel, Guatamala to work with Porch de Salomon in building…
Reflections on 9/11: Between Memory and Hope
Chances are good that no one will forget where you were on September 11, 2001 around 8:45 AM Eastern Time. I was at work, at the CareerBuilder.com office in North Atlanta. I had settled into my cubicle, returned email from the previous day and began to prepare for several appointments that I had scheduled for that…
Finding Time for Interruptions
Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. Simon and those with him tracked him down. When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!” He replied, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that…
