Evangelism is like reading a good novel. Good novels absorb us in their plots, characters, and action. Major and minor themes unravel as we turn each page. Scenes build on top of each other. We resist the temptation to skip to the end because we don’t want to miss the thrill of the adventure. Our lives…
Once upon a time I worked in construction. The years between college and my current career was spent outside on a ladder, walking a scaffold, holding a hammer. This wasn’t a glamorous job. I endured the summer heat and the winter’s cold installing aluminum siding (before vinyl became the standard), shingling roofs, and hanging gutters….
The answer to this question may surprise you. What was one of Jesus’ strategies for evangelism? He did it over dinner. “The primary venue for evangelism in Jesus’ life was the meal,” writes Eugene Peterson. Why meals? Meals are natural and relational places for insiders to begin faith conversations. Jesu set the example by regularly…
As we sat on my deck talking, Jim’s comment caught my attention: “What’s really important to me is to live a margined life.” The term puzzled me. “What’s a margined life?” I asked. “A margined life is having enough margin in my schedule to be available for people when they’re available. I want people to…
“My business is circumference,” wrote the poet Emily Dickinson. How can a nineteenth-century poet act as an insider? Using a geometric measure, Dickinson creates an analogy to show how her poetry encompasses — draws a circle — around life’s experiences. This circumference was the picture for her poetry. This is fascinating since Dickinson was a…
A new neighbor moved in across the street from my parent’s home. Stopping his lawnmower, my dad walked across the street to meet him. Repeated street crossings produced an amicable friendship and then the discovery was made. The new neighbor was a widower and had lung cancer. My dad began to help him do odd…
The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints by Jessica Hooten Wilson “Stories are capable of inspiring people to change their lives,” writes Jessica Hooten Wilson. She then builds a case for gaining holiness through reading fiction. Here’s a quote that will capture your attention: “I would argue that reading…
The doomsday countdown had begun. Living in captivity, without official representation, Israel faced extermination (Esther 3:8-11). The situation seemed helpless. But wait, there was an “insider” in the king’s palace — someone who was close to the king and shared his trust. Her name was Esther and she was providentially appointed “for such a time…
What’s happened since my previous posting about observing Lent? My Protestant tradition seldom emphasizes Lent so I’m a novice at its practice. With Easter now over, what did I learn from my Lenten experience? Will I practice it in the future? Here are some reflections from a backwards look. First, I’ve discovered that change is…
In a world filled with distractions, it’s easy to struggle with engaging deeply with the Bible. You may find yourself reading the words but feeling disconnected from the life-changing power in them. Sometimes the Bible seems intimidating — or maybe even . . . boring? Holding the Word offers an exciting, holistic and relational approach to interacting…