She stopped eating and looked at me. “Are you serious?” She was more commenting than questioning. “Why would you go see a counselor? They don’t have any wisdom. They can’t help you. Are you depressed?”
The Baggage We Carry
May 23, 2023 by Leave a Comment
My excitement about being on El Camino De Santiago—the Way of St. James—walking in the footsteps of the millions of pilgrims who came before me, carried me for the first portion of my journey. My feet were still in good shape—no soreness or blisters, not even any calluses yet—and I was sticking to the schedule I’d designed to keep myself from overdoing it.
The Fourfold Pattern for Common Worship
May 16, 2023 by Leave a Comment
When the people of God gather then for Sunday worship, the “order of service” is not accidental or simply because “we’ve always done it that way.” The structure of common worship should be determined by our very best understanding of who God is, what God is about, what God expects and wants, and who we are in relationship to God.
Interviewing Randall Lolley
May 10, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Among the first questions a friend asked when I floated the idea of a Randall Lolley biography was, “Is Randall able to help?”
Time and Patience
May 9, 2023 by Leave a Comment
In my work with mediation and conflict resolution, there are two major tools: time and patience.
Trying to Make the Unhappy Happy
May 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Trying to make the unhappy happy. There probably isn’t much future in this, God. We like to be liked, and we love to be loved. At least some of us. Well intentioned psychology has partly vilified some among us as people pleasers. Take away any personal tendencies, and we are left with more practical concerns.
The Weight of Pain
April 26, 2023 by 1 Comment
Why does pain almost always seem to weigh more, to have more substance, to impact us more powerfully, than joy? For many people, the moments that have been most life-changing have been, not the moments of joy, but the moments of pain.
5 Guidelines for Building a Racially and Culturally Diverse Church Staff
April 19, 2023 by Leave a Comment
One of the best ways to communicate a goal of racial and cultural diversity is to have a diversified staff. Actions do speak louder than words.
Do Not Resist an Evil Person
April 18, 2023 by Leave a Comment
How do you respond to someone who does not behave as a Christian ought to behave, whether they are or are not a fellow Christian? The easy answer is to quote Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, “turn the other cheek.”
A Quiet Life: Living at Peace with One’s Self
April 12, 2023 by Leave a Comment
One great embarrassment of Christians is that we talk so much and so loudly. Interviews and conversations of all kinds often remind us of a pride of lions feeding, snapping and snarling, each lunging in for a moment and then getting shoved aside by others.
Presenting Portraits of Jesus
April 11, 2023 by Leave a Comment
When Mark sketched out our first Gospel account of Jesus, he was not simply writing a direct history or creating a photo account about Jesus. He was doing something far more significant than recording a Vine. He was providing a testimony about the figure he believed was the most important person who ever lived.
Make the Most of Holy Week
April 5, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I love worship. If I could spend the rest of my academic career studying worship, I would.
Brokenness, a Prayer for Lent
March 29, 2023 by Leave a Comment
God, it takes courage to be the creatures
you made us to be.
Year after year we add to our experiences of the world,
pushing against our limits
to find out what will budge and what will not.
Thou Shalt Remember Thou Art Creative
March 22, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The question I get more than any other—more than “What’s the meaning of life?”, or “Why do people suffer?”, or “Why are the New England Patriots so . . . them?”—is “Can I learn to be funny?”
A Wilderness Point of View
March 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment
In Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells his daughter Scout that there’s a “trick” to getting along with all kinds of people.
A Worship Hour Outline: Dreams
March 15, 2023 by Leave a Comment
We come to dream with you, Spirit of Hope. We confess that some of our dreams have been selfish ambitions, and that we have often been driven by personal gain and little interest in others or your will.
Learning to Walk on Water
March 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I once saw a saying that really spoke to me: “Be like Jesus; rebuke the storm, and if it persists, walk on it.” How many times have storms taken control of our lives?
Justice, Kindness, Humility
March 1, 2023 by
One morning in my eighth grade social studies class, the teacher said, “The world is one-third Christian, twenty percent Muslim, and thirteen percent Hindu.” We thought that was the goofiest thing we had ever heard. Where I grew up in Mississippi, there were four religions—Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and heathen.
A Prayer for the First Night of Fostering Placement
February 15, 2023 by
Yesterday, I was someone different. Today, I am a parent. Tomorrow is yet unknown. In all of it, I am yours, God.
Your Commute as a Spiritual Discipline
February 8, 2023 by
My morning commute reminds me that I am not the Christian I should be. I drive nine miles to my job—two miles of neighborhood, three miles of suburban commerce, and four miles of houses.
Grateful for Mistakes
February 7, 2023 by
“Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.” (author unknown)
Noah’s Lawsuit: Is God Trying to Say Something?
January 31, 2023 by
The headline reads like a punchline: “Owners of Noah’s Ark sue over rain damage.” Does God have a sense of humor or what?
9 Tips for Interpreting Scripture
January 25, 2023 by
Many of us grew up hearing preachers proclaim, “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.” By now, I hope we realize that the task of biblical interpretation is a tad more complicated.
Cancer Is Not Evil
January 18, 2023 by
The most significant source of strength I draw from as I deal with cancer is not some coping mechanism that comes naturally to me. I don’t have three keys for stress-free living to offer my readers. Instead, the most important, most helpful sources of inspiration and strength for me have been my beliefs about God.
A Prayer for the Floor
January 17, 2023 by
On the floor is where so many things end up, God.
Toys dropped, crumbs scattered.
Shoes thrown, books smashed.
The Blissful Affliction of Writing
January 11, 2023 by
I used to set my schedule around Monk on Friday nights. In case you missed it, Monk was a detective series on the USA Network that let us follow the adventures of an obsessive-compulsive genius named Adrian Monk. There was no doubt that Monk was a detective genius. He could solve crimes no one else could solve.
Holy Whispers
January 10, 2023 by
I love hearing whispers—secrets for my ears only, messages so extraordinary they cannot be spoken out loud.
Seeking, a Prayer for Epiphany
January 4, 2023 by
God of all times and places, we move into this new year as travelers seeking the shelter of your presence in all our comings and goings. Like the magi we move from familiar surroundings, crossing borders to enter unknown times and places.
Catching a Glimpse
December 27, 2022 by
The first Christmas comes and goes, and most people don’t notice. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and a few others catch a glimpse of what is happening, but they’re just a handful.
Finding the Child for Ourselves
December 22, 2022 by
My nephew Connor was born nearly a month early. My husband and I had just visited the weekend before to help my brother and sister-in-law assemble the crib, wash onesies, and set up the changing station.
Pain Can Give Birth to New Life
December 21, 2022 by
The day my first grandchild, Liam, was born, Linda and I arrived at the hospital and went to my daughter Elizabeth’s room to spend time with her and her husband, Josh. Every two or three minutes, Elizabeth would have a contraction, a passing moment of tension and discomfort.
How Does Christmas Feel?
December 13, 2022 by
When I was a high school student, I did not compile a particularly enviable record as an athlete or as a scholar. I did, however, achieve a fleeting measure of notoriety as an Elvis impersonator.
We Need the Hope of Christmas Now
December 7, 2022 by
Simply and directly, our world is not what it should be. And the Advent and Christmas season offer the expectancy of what should be.
Waiting During Advent
December 6, 2022 by
In the Advent/Christmas season, let me encourage you to learn how to wait. I know we don’t want to do that.
Facing Grief, at Christmas and Always
November 30, 2022 by
I am neither a nihilist nor a pessimist. For heaven’s sake, I am pastor of America’s home of Positive Thinking. I am, however, a realist. And as such, I have a theory about life. Here it is: Life is not the last five minutes of the movie.
Thanksgiving Supper
November 23, 2022 by
At 10:30 on Thanksgiving Day, I am standing in a long line waiting for a box of Thanksgiving. We are not in a restaurant, as you might expect, but in a nondescript building—a VFW hall, Rotary Club hall, or Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall.
The Potter’s Wheel is Still Turning
November 15, 2022 by
God told Jeremiah to go the potter’s house because, through the work of the potter, God would reveal his message to Jeremiah. The prophet watched as the potter worked at the wheel, purposefully shaping the clay with a beautiful and useful end in mind. But, as the potter worked, something went wrong.
My Undelivered Stand-up Routine for Those Not Likely to Come Back to Church
November 8, 2022 by
How is everybody doing tonight? You look great. You’re less sober than the people I usually talk to.
How Will They Remember You When You’re Gone?
November 2, 2022 by
This past week, I conducted a celebration of life service at a beloved church I serve. The packed sanctuary was a reminder to all who were present of this church member’s caring spirit.
If Baptists Could Have Saints
November 1, 2022 by
When my parents died, I kept the treasures of their beloved testaments. I also kept the German Bible that my dad was given while stationed in Germany during WWII. The book of Esther was ripped out.
Death and Life
October 26, 2022 by
We lose so many good people. When Jesus finally arrives at his friends’ home, Lazarus has been dead for four days.
Meditations on Luke: Forcing Our Way In
October 19, 2022 by
It would be hard to count the gallons of ink that have been spilled over the years trying to interpret verse 16. For one thing, the wording in the original Greek is terse and difficult to translate into an English equivalent. Beyond that, the phrase deals in imagery that is awkward and feels out of place.
Holy Whispers
October 18, 2022 by
I love hearing whispers—secrets for my ears only, messages so extraordinary they cannot be spoken out loud. I love the whispers I have heard in my life that I could not explain.
God Can See in the Dark
October 18, 2022 by
I can’t see in the dark. It’s a fact of life. I’ve proven it many times, getting up in the night, foolishly believing I can navigate through the house without turning on a light, and then tripping over a sleeping dog.
The Decision Paradox
October 12, 2022 by
People seldom have to choose between right and wrong. Once upon a time, not long ago it seems, I embarked on a journey to be a pastor. I felt call to do battle with the forces of evil in the name of God.
A Prayer for Parents Waiting-to-Be
October 11, 2022 by
O Holy God,
It is the time of waiting.
We are waiting, Longing, Hoping, Praying, Promising.
Unless You Come unto Me as These
October 5, 2022 by
This one is going to be a problem for us. You know that most adults have forgotten that they were children once upon a time. In fact, how long has it been since most adults have included “once upon a time” in any sentence?
The Social Implications of Salvation
October 4, 2022 by
The Christian’s aim, Rauschenbusch believed, was not to pass through an evil world in safety, leaving the world’s evil unshaken; rather, it was to seek a moral and religious transformation of humanity in all of its social relations.