Ed Thomas, high school football coach from Parkersburg, IA, was shot and killed on Wednesday morning by a man who formerly played on his team. Thomas, 58, was a family man, a phenomenal coach who sent several guys into the… Continue reading

It was reported that Judge Sotomayor, the recent nominee to the Supreme Court, has moments when she feels a sense of inadequacy for her work as a Federal Judge, not because she lacks credentials, but because she feels so human,… Continue reading

There’s an old story (it exists in many forms on the Internet!) about two friends were walking together when they came to a high wall. It stretched into the hills on both horizons. “So, Freddy,” Pete said, “I think we’ll… Continue reading

It just all got to me today. Church ministry budgets that don’t balance, human needs for which I have no quick fix, a crazy mixed up world that seems to be getting more upside down recently – these things pressed… Continue reading

From certain points of view, a person could conclude that Christianity is a religion for wimps, that church is a gathering spot for the whiners and the weak. There are those congregations organized around bland programs that promote ‘nice,’ governed… Continue reading

While looking for a book on the shelves in my office a couple of days ago, I came upon a book my son, Sean, prepared for me as gift at Christmas a couple of years ago. In it, he recalled… Continue reading

Anxiety is the epidemic of our age, isn’t it? We are stressed by time pressure, unmet expectations, a faltering economy, gloomy predictions for the future … and too many personal things to even begin to mention. For me, the current… Continue reading

Good Shepherd Christian Academy, a ministry of the church I pastor, had graduation exercises for 8th grade last night. One theme glued the evening together- the sense of being a family! The attachments run deep, as evidenced by their tears,… Continue reading

The voicemail message was a strange one, “Pastor, would you please pray that God gives me favor so that my worship ‘ministry’ goes world-wide?” I don’t know the person making that request. However, I know this: If his real desire… Continue reading

After I spoke on the fullness of the Spirit yesterday, somebody remarked, “Sounds like you think we need to get back to an old-fashioned Pentecost.” I didn’t respond but the comment lingers. I asked myself, “Am I, due to my… Continue reading