It was “deja vu all over again.” I had the same conversation on two successive days with two different pastors on two different continents! Both pastors were making the same assumption and I could predict the outcome of their actions. What was the assumption? They assumed that if you provided the right instruction (on disciplemaking) you would get the…
Covid changed Peggys and my television viewing habits. I’m not sure why or how it happened but we’re now fans of HGTV, the Food Channel, and almost anything British on the Acorn channel. We’re drawn to the British detective shows. One show was a favorite until they featured a murder in an elderly residence home….
Television runs on the tracks of trends. One current trend is a variation of the ballroom dance. We love to watch minor celebrities, athletes, or politicians learn the intricacies of ballroom dancing. A fundamental rule of ballroom dancing is that someone must lead. Teaching is like ballroom dancing where the teacher leads, and the learner…
I slid into the seat opposite my friend Chris. Chris is one of the most provocative friends I have. We’ve known each other for over twenty years. Some years we rarely see each other but when we do, we quickly go to the heart of our lives. We typically end up preaching to one another….
Patrick of Ireland is one of my faith heroes. It’s unfortunate that the Roman Catholic church claims him as one of their own. Patrick belongs to the ages. His ministry to Ireland took place before there was an Eastern Orthodox Church or a Roman Catholic church. Protestants can claim him as one of their own….
I was marked by the cross this past Wednesday. Peggy and I attended a Lenten service and received the sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads. How did two Baptists end up at a Lenten service? I grew up attending a small rural Presbyterian church. Before I told God to “shove off” in…
It’s Sunday night, February 9, 1964. An entire nation was glued to a Sunday evening television show, and I was no exception. Seventy-three million people watched one show that night — setting a viewing record. It was reported that crime dropped in New York City during this hour. After watching this show, my friend Dennis…
Meditation has permeated our culture. Commercials and advertisements feature people in yoga classes practicing meditation. The New York City School System sets aside time at the beginning of the day for students to practice mindfulness and deep breathing to counter stress. The medical field promotes meditation as a “simple, fast way to reduce stress.” According…
Rule #1. Keep the conversation in the closet. As leaders, we huddle together to discuss needs, challenges, and new initiatives. We do the research, talk a lot, and collectively come to a conclusion. We keep the conversation in the “closet” of our meetings. We’re excited but when we announce it to a congregation or ministry…
I’m a consummate goal setter. One of my sabbatical goals in 2021 was to read all of my journals since my last sabbatical in 2010. After reading three years of journals I put them aside. I was discouraged by the number of goals I set that were left undone. In reading these journals I discovered…