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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 my teen years, I heard and participated in ceremonies called “Advent” and “Lent.” No one ever explained the meaning of these seasons; they just showed up in the changing color…

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 bought a guitar and grew his hair long. What made this hour so special? The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show! This former club band from Liverpool, England captured…

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 to the Pew Research Center, 40% of Americans say that they meditate regularly at least once a week. When practiced in these settings, meditation is typically an intentional focus of…

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 group all we hear is “crickets.” When crickets happen, I quickly conclude that people “aren’t committed.” If I feel exceptionally spiritual, I frame the proposal with “The Lord led us…

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 that about every four months I set new goals or revised old ones. I was struck at how few goals were ever accomplished; maybe 50% were left uncompleted. At the…

The promise of being filled with awe is present every Christmas. This holiday surrounds us with beauty —  festive lights, up-lifting music, and the art of the Christmas card. Even in an increasingly faith-less culture, Jesus is still present. But is the Christmas experience always AWE-full? I must be honest. Sometimes it’s not for me. If I polled everyone reading this blog, we would probably all agree: “We’re too rushed to enjoy the awe!” How do we slow down while checking off the gift lists,…

We’ve all seen the headlines: bees are dying!  Bees and other pollinators are vital to life. Bees pollinate 80% of flowering plants. They account for $15 billion in agricultural products; bees shape our food chains. The good news is that commercial bee keeping has stabilized over the past decade. The bad news is that “wild” or natural bees continue to decline. Why are bees dying? The reasons are many but the bottom line is that when the environment around bees (the ecosystem) is changed then…

Dinner at the Mowry home is a time for Peggy and me to catch up on our days. It was during a dinner conversation that Peggy jolted me with these words: “I’m going to resign my teaching position and find a job in a corporate setting. I want to live as a light among unbelievers rather than stay in the safety of a Christian school.” I was surprised. I knew how much Peggy enjoyed teaching in a Christian school. She loved the relationships with her…