When I began studying art in college, I had the intention of becoming either a studio painter or an illustrator. About halfway through my education, however, I was surprised to find myself in love with graphic design, especially branding and logo design. I finished out my schooling with that as my focus and launched my career doing just that for several years. It wasn’t until ten years and two...
Syrupy waffles. Pajama pants. Steaming coffee. Comfy couches. Wide-screen TVs. What do all these things point to? Livestreamed church! Before the days of COVID, missing church was a big deal to me. Sunday morning meant waking up early, getting ready, helping someone find the khakis that ended up in someone else’s drawer, jumping into a hot or cold minivan depending on the season, driving the...
When I was still in seminary, I had the opportunity to preach in an old congregational church near Boston founded in the year 1642. It had a sanctuary that could seat 1,500 and a pulpit so high that its ascent required two sets of stairs. They even broadcast the service on television; all heady stuff for a seminarian. Or so I thought. The morning I preached there were approximately thirty people...
People are often surprised when they hear me connecting Martin Luther and ministry to those struggling with mental illness. Martin Luther and the Reformation? Yes. Martin Luther and pastoral ministry? Sure. Martin Luther and mental illness? Not so sure. Let’s take a look at the historic facts of Luther’s life and ministry to discover this connection. Luther’s Compassionate, Competent, and...
Many years ago, I was listening to a talk on discipleship. I wasn’t paying too much attention to what was being said, but as I sat in the back row, a phrase kept coming to my mind. “A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.” Song of Songs 4:12 It was odd that I kept thinking about this phrase because the Song of Songs was a book of the Bible I rarely...
