I am a sheep, complete with all the misguided, helpless stupidity that goes along with it. I am a sheep of the Good Pastor, Jesus. It’s awesome being in His flock under His provision and protection. It’s also humbling to be a pastor for the Good Pastor, to have a subset of that flock under … Read more
As a boy I remember the hustle and bustle of Sunday morning. I wasn’t always the swiftest out the door in the morning. It was a lot of work getting everything ready, picking out our Sunday best and making ourselves presentable. Unfortunately the work didn’t stop when we got to church. It had only begun! … Read more
We’ve all met people whose perception of themselves far exceeded their actual ability. If we’re honest with ourselves, we find that it’s also great description of us! It’s true! There’s nothing more humbling that being a human being. Think about it. Do we have the ability to create ourselves? No. We are in this world … Read more
Which tense to we use? When we refer to ourselves as being baptized, are we speaking in the past tense or the present tense? If we speak in the past tense, then our baptism into Christ is something that happened long ago, a piece of history that may or may not impact our lives at … Read more
I recently heard Rev. Dan Hudson from Sanctuary Church in Manhattan, IL speak at the Movement Conference hosted by LINC – Twin Cities. Now, much of the conference moved me, but none more than an analogy that Dan drew up on a sheet of paper. It has to do with aligning our priorities with Jesus’ … Read more
I find myself intrigued by why people do what they do. In my intrigue, I try my best not to judge, but to simply observe. What makes it so intriguing is that often people are truly unaware of why they do what they do. They just do it! People don’t usually want to admit it … Read more
Self-Expression I don’t usually tend to use political examples, but the “Occupy ____” movement has left me fascinated. For the longest time, analysts have tried to narrow down the message to a unified core, to no avail. Talk to five protesters and you get five different messages. Even the supposed leaders of the movement don’t … Read more
A New Look at Church Churches use slogans like that to make themselves seem hip and cool. I don’t know if we’re hip and cool, but I do think we’ve discovered some things about church over these last few years that bears some reflection. So, let’s take a brief look in the mirror. GodSpeak: Integrated … Read more
Have you grown up? Most people who read this will say yes. You’re an adult. You have years under your belt and the responsibilities to go with it. You’ve grown up! Some would say they never really grow up. Not that they play with toys all their life, but that they’re always growing, always learning, … Read more
One of the things impressed upon me by my seminary education and my subsequent years as your pastor is that I’m not as smart as I want to think I am. The saying is very true: The more you know, the more you know how much you don’t know. So, I try to make learning … Read more