I live in the South. Nearly everyone I know says they are a Christian when asked. Further, it is not uncommon to be asked “where do you go to church?” upon first meeting. Yet, for all the religiosity in the South, I regularly notice a gap between what it means to be a Christian and how people live out Christianity. This may be stating the obvious, but calling yourself a Christian does not mean a lot these days. Continue reading
I’m beginning to gather thoughts on “success in ministry,” and would love to hear some unfiltered, raw, honest responses to the question “What is success in Christian Church ministry?” I’d love to hear the perspectives of regular church-goers, pastors, professors, unchurched, non-Christians and anyone who might be interested in responding. What are you waiting for? … Continue reading
In a post from October 2012, I suggested that “being always flows from doing.” I stand corrected. I had the chance to learn under Dr. Richard Langer this week in what is my last residency for my D.Min at Biola University. In an article from the ‘Journal for Spiritual Formation’ he writes a few “Points … Continue reading
This week Philippians 4:4-7 has been reoccurring over and over in my life and in the life of friends. Paul encourages the church at Philippi with these words: “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: REJOICE! Let reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in … Continue reading
When I started this series on community, I talked about how America is characterized by individualism and how that can be a significant cost to community. Every human being’s greatest need is community (network of close relationships): with God and with others. In the contemporary obsession with convenience and immediate gratification, community and relationships counter-culturally … Continue reading
Community doesn’t “just happen.” It takes time, intentionality, vulnerability and mutual commitment to develop. Yet, there are sure fire ways to kill community and key values that can create or grow community and in this post I want to take a look at both. Let’s start by looking at some ways you can kill community. … Continue reading
Metaphors are pictures that help us to take a closer look at realities embedded in a concept through a tangible analogy. I want to describe 7 metaphors (or pictures) of community given to us in Scripture. This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope it will paint a broad and ideal picture of the … Continue reading
Community would be much easier if people weren’t involved. I meant what I said in my last post that God values community and that the community we experience in the church should mirror the oneness of the Trinity. I would even go so far as to say that the community we experience with God and … Continue reading
Americans value individualism. We love our freedom of self-expression, independence and fiercely defend our individual rights. Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede developed what is known as the “cultural dimensions theory” which seeks to express the values of particular cultures. On a scale from 1-120, America scored the highest in individualism with a 91. So, what is … Continue reading
November 1st is my anniversary (the day I posted this marks 9 years). One of the greatest privileges in my life is to call myself Laura’s husband. Laura is sweet, compassionate, brilliant, and beautiful inside and out. When I married her, there is no question that I married WAY out of my league. For our … Continue reading
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