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...
There’s a six-inch scar on top of my head. It looks like the laces on a football. Based on the recent acceleration of my receding hairline, you should be able to get a good glance over the next few years. I got the scar on Sunday afternoon, October 30, 1994. As a newly-licensed driver, with way more confidence than experience, I wanted to see if my ‘84 Accord could hit 100 mph. The speed...
