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New Year’s Wishes

In thinking about the new year, I am reminded of a poem I read recently. In it Frances Ridley Havergal offers what should be our wishes for each other for the coming year. With all of the possible resolutions that could be made to adjust my life to something greater that I desire, may … Continue reading →

7 Exercises to Produce Peace

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 →

Christmas Science

In an article from scienceblogs.com, the writer opens with this statement: “If there’s one universal trait among humans, it seems to be an unquenchable thirst for certainty.” We want to know what is provable beyond a shadow of doubt. Where would you guess that most of us think that type of certainty is found? The … Continue reading →

Teen Sex in Memphis City Schools

This is a response to an editorial in the Memphis Newspaper Commercial Appeal entitled “Teens Are Listening” which appeared December 5th, 2012. You can find that article here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/05/editorial-teens-are-listening/ The recent editorial entitled “Teens Are Listening” celebrated the fact that unprotected sex is on the decline among students at MCS. The article implicated “it will … Continue reading →

Tips for Cultivating Community

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 →

Killers & Creators of Community

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 →

7 Metaphors of Community

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 →

The Problem of Church Community

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 →

The Value of Community

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 →

Anniversary Thoughts

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 →