Humans want to be included. In fact, we have a fundamental need to be accepted, welcomed, even wanted. We long to be invited. We hope to be included. We want to belong. And so we gather. We get together in groups, or neighborhoods, or clubs, based on things we share in common. We gather in stadiums (Skol!), in arenas, in homes, … More The Day the Sky Was Torn Open
In his book, The Easy Yoke, author Doug Webster tells a story about a young, energetic and idealistic seminary student in Philadelphia. His name was Ted, and he was studying to be a pastor. In fact, he dreamed about being a pastor. It’s all he’d wanted to be since seventh grade. He was motivated. He had energy. He had enthusiasm. His first seminary class was called “How … More When Broken Dreams are Mended
In our Old Testament reading for today, Joshua, the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, the weary warrior, stands before the people of Shechem with a Word from the Lord. He clears his throat, cups his hands, and says in a voice loud enough for all to hear, “Thus says the Lord, the God of … More Fill the Lamps
One Saturday morning, when I was probably about 10 years old, my dad said “Todd, today I’m going to teach you how to mow.” My eyes bugged out; it was a terrifying sentence. I didn’t mind the idea of mowing…but I was scared to death of the mower. It was a beast…this big old Sears Craftsman… probably built … More A Perfect 440
It was somewhere around the year 1890, when Christian missionaries arrived in for northern Alaska, above the Arctic Circle, where members of the Inuit tribe had lived for a couple thousand years. After arriving, one of the first things the missionaries hoped to accomplish was to get the Bible translated into the Inuit’s native language. Now, … More Joy Comes With the Morning
So, what did you expect when you woke up this morning? What were your expectations for the day? Because we all have expectations, right? So you woke up on this Easter morning…what did you expect to see today? Maybe you expect to see family or friends who have traveled to be here…to celebrate together. Maybe you expected to step outside this … More Resurrection Moments
I remember as a kid, on warm summer nights, my Dad would ask me if I wanted to go out and play catch. I know…cue the “Field of Dreams” soundtrack music here. As we’d throw the baseball back and forth, my Dad would constantly tell me, “keep your eye on the ball!” (Anyone else ever hear that … More Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Some years ago, before the death of Mother Theresa, a television special depicted the grim human conditions that were a part of her daily life. It showed all the horror of the slums of Calcutta and her love for these destitute people. The producer interviewed her as she made her rounds visiting the people she … More God Notices
Churches either have “it,” or they don’t, argues Pastor Craig Groschel, in his book “Lead Like it Matters.” I think there is a lot of truth in this. I remember when I was growing up and my family would drive back in to the city to the church where my brothers and I were baptized … More Sabbatical Reading: “Lead Like it Matters”
One of the books on my sabbatical reading list is “Not In It to Win it” by Andy Stanley. Stanley is the pastor of NorthPoint Church in Atlanta Georgia, a large mega-church with multiple campuses around the southeastern United States. Stanley is an author and hosts “The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast.” I am planning on … More “Not In It To Win It”
Test Driving Theology 