Home as a Sacred Space
When I think about self-care, I think about the things that I do: activities, how I spend my time, spiritual practices, how I deal with stress. Recently I have been […]
Posts
Starting a New Call: A Top 10 List of Dos and Don’ts
Pace yourself. You are going to be tempted to go, go, go. Don’t give in to the temptation. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
What I Learned in My First Year in Ministry
Standing in my living room surrounded by church members, I put my hand on a small group leader’s shoulder and anointed her with oil. I watched as tears welled up […]
Let’s Be Honest: A Guide to Worship
My boys love going to church. On Sunday mornings, as I’m rushing to get out the door, they are moving quickly right with me, excited to get there. It is […]
Bind Us Together
I’ve almost finished my first year as senior pastor at a church that is unlike any other I’ve had the privilege to be a part of. Our vision statement is […]
They Don’t Teach That in Seminary: 99 Prayers You Need
“They don’t teach that in seminary.” A minister’s whole career could be summed up with that sentence. Seminary fills a person with a lot of knowledge. But somewhere between eschatology and […]
Not Just the Future but the Present
An eleven-year-old stood behind a rough wooden podium on the side of a mountain at Henderson Settlement, a United Methodist mission site in Kentucky. Her back was straight, her face […]
The Cost of Inclusion
There is a hymn that is often sung in churches entitled “All Are Welcome,” and in the fourth verse there is a line that goes: Here the outcast and the […]
Fear Not: A Letter to a Young Clergy Woman
Dear Friend, I was recently thinking back to my third date with Daniel. He reached across the table for my hand and asked, “What would you do with your life […]
Learning to say “Yes, And…”: A review of God, Improv, and the Art of Living
I still remember that gathering in a hotel meeting room in Kansas City. The NEXTChuch conference had just ended, and a group of pastors gathered to learn about Improv and […]
