First Sunday in Advent: King Ahaz had a problem. His country was small, and was about to be gobbled up by war-hungry Assyria, the bully on the block. Every day the news was the same: no hope; no win; no …
The Death of Hope Part 4 The Remixed
By and large, today’s new cults of and for the Remixed are what I will call “intuitional religions.” By this, I mean that their sense of meaning is based in narratives that simultaneously reject clear-cut creedal metaphysical doctrines and institutional …
The Death of Hope Part 3 Strange Rites
I believe in God. I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheilaism. Just my own little voice … It’s just trying to love …
The Death of Hope (Part 2)
If there is no hope, there is no future. In his 1992 novel The Children of Men (Made into a movie of the same name in 2006), P.D. James tells of a future where no children are born. James insists …
The Death of Hope (Part 1)
“…there’s an extraordinary wave of depression and anxiety in teens and adults, for example. There was one analysis that said that 44 percent of American 8th, 10th, and 12th graders report feeling, at times, that, quote, ‘my life is not …
Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places
What do you love? What does your congregation love? These are essential questions to dig into because St. Augustine states, “Wherever I am carried, my love is carrying me.” Putting it another way, our congregations do what they love to …
9 things your Pastor wished you knew about but can’t say out loud
An ice storm on Saturday night! Everything was cancelled. Roads were closed and powerlines down. Chad was the new pastor at Creekside Church. In fact, he was new to ministry leadership. His ordination service in this rural congregation happened only …
7 myths uncovered about ministry training
It was the first time Caitlin hosted the holiday dinner for her family. 27 people would be at the tables, 19 at the main, and 8 at the “Kid’s Table.” Two babies would be held or sleeping in carrying baskets. …
Preaching Jitters
Chris was called to ministry. He knew it. He felt it. He prayed about it. But before he could be credentialed as a pastor, Chris had to channel his passionate confidence through several years of seminary training. Bible classes were …
Deep and Wide
“Deep and Wide.” It’s the name of a children’s song and also the title of a book by Andy Stanley. For the song, click here. Stanley’s book, Deep and Wide, is the story of his personal faith and ministry journey, as well as …
