Demanding perfection; living in love? My childhood was shaped around a form of Christianity that made God – perhaps unintentionally – into a feared Being that watched me carefully.  While I was taught that He was loving, I also came… Continue reading

“It’s so complicated,” she cried, “I just cannot understand what the Lord wants from me.”  The woman was going through a difficult time in life, to be sure.  She was without peace, confused and torn. She was filled with guilt. … Continue reading

One of my congregants calls me “Pastor Punctuality.”  Time is important to me. I am always aware of schedules and deadlines.  Being late is something I abhor, so I generally arrive 15 minutes early, which to be is ‘just on… Continue reading

There are hundreds of ‘reasons’ to live in a full state of anxiety. Just turn on the news. Terrorists are regrouping.  People with mental health problems are shooting up our cities. Multiple health problems could develop at any time in… Continue reading

Familiarity is everywhere today. Most people ignore the formalities that once governed our interactions. The generation previous to mine felt a real need to keep those ‘rules.’ My Dad wouldn’t have stepped into church without a dark suit and a… Continue reading

James Thurber gave us the short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  A man with a most mundane life drives his wife into town for her weekly shopping and visit to the beauty parlor.  He slips into a daydream… Continue reading

Over the years I’ve read dozens of self-help books.  Andy Stanley teaches me how to be a visionary leader.  James Dobson informs me about being a good parent.  Dozens of writers offer suggestions for leading a church.  Many rehash the… Continue reading

Today we remember hatred and zealotry for an evil cause.  9/11/01 is a day of death and destruction from which began a cycle of the same.  Who’s celebrating?  The Evil One who hates you, and me, and life, and light!… Continue reading

Americans are notoriously footloose. They restlessly seek a new place, a new opportunity. “Elbow room,” says Daniel Boone as he moves on, so goes the story.  The average American family moves every 5 to 7 years, looking for a better… Continue reading

Few things are worse than being alone! Every problem looks bigger when faced without a friend. Working on a task with a team makes the work much less tedious; the results so much better. At our church yesterday, I watched… Continue reading