Monthly Archives: January 2011

Today at church, a grandfather related a recent suppertime conversation with his grandkids. A granddaughter said she wanted to be a geologist when she grows up. When it came his turn, the youngish grandson declared, “I want to be a … Continue reading →

Each of the last three days I haven’t blogged, I’ve convinced myself that I was just too busy. I have had a LOT of writing projects for church; there’s been no time to gather my thoughts into a blog. That’s … Continue reading →

I started reading fiction because one of my doctoral professors said it was okay. Here’s how it happened. I attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In many ways, seminary was a great experience. While there I discovered … Continue reading →

Today’s quote from “Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals”: “One thing we know, which the White Man may one day discover–our God is the same God. You may think that you own Him as you wish to own our … Continue reading →

I got a notice this week about a preaching award. It’s called the “Brave Preacher Award,” and will go to the “best” sermon addressing the recent shooting in Tucson and doing so in light of the Sermon on the Mount. … Continue reading →

Like most folks, pastors often dream about work. Most of the church/congregation references in my dreams are pretty obscure. If I think about them long enough, sometimes, I’m able to make sense of them. The one I had the other … Continue reading →

Responding to the “findiing my way to prayer” post the other day, my cousin Jamie (Hi, Jamie!) mentioned Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence is one of my favorite mentors on prayer. Anybody who can find God while washing dishes…that’s a faithful … Continue reading →

The most exciting thing as a pastor–THE most exciting thing–is accompanying someone as he or she wakes up to his or her life… That happened last night. Someone had had an experience that lit a flame in his core; he … Continue reading →

A friend of mine serves as chaplain at a maximum security prison for men. I once asked her how she has the strength to go to work every day. Her response: I pray. There’s no way I could face what … Continue reading →

I’ve avoided the blogosphere a long time. What to write? Aren’t sermons enough? And newsletter articles? And weekly musings to the congregation? What else is there to say? And who could possibly want to read it? But the urge to … Continue reading →