How do we grow a church? There have been countless books, seminars, conferences, and programs that have attempted to answer this question. It would probably not be hyperbolic to say that billions of hours (and dollars) have been invested in efforts to tell churches how to grow. It would be arrogant to flippantly brush all […]
The month of March marks the beginning of spring. The snow turns to rain (at least in the valleys), the dead grass starts to green, the trees begin to bloom. Perhaps you will see some tulips and daffodils daring to break through the ground. At least in my family, it is a season of birthdays: […]
Last week I provided my favorite quote from Karl Barth. Let me here provide it again: “Let me warn you now. If you make a start with ‘God and…’ you are opening the doors to every demon. And the charge which I raise against you I lay before you in the words of Anselm: Tu […]
This Christmas my wife gave me one of my favorite Christmas presents of all time: the complete set of Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics. I cannot remember receiving a Christmas or birthday gift that moved me so close to tears! Over the past couple of years, Barth has become a helpful and influential voice in my thinking […]
“The Bible is clear.” This is a statement I hear on a fairly regular basis. On its own, I do not find the statement inherently problematic. There is much that is “clear” about what scripture teaches. Love God. Love people. “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” One would have […]
A snow covers the walk on which I tread,my feet grow numb to rise and fall beneaththis wet and seeping cold in which I’m lead,to take another step up to my bed. There I will rest and surely feel your heat —but not today. These clouds remain for nowand I will move and move until […]
“The crowd is untruth.” – Søren Kierkegaard “Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. Simon and those with him tracked him down. When they found him, they told him, ‘Everyone’s looking for you!’He replied, ‘Let’s head in the other direction, […]
Why did he let me go awaybeyond the sea and failing skyto places cold and deep to stayand wait upon his graceful eye? You let me go and then refusedto let me get away from you.You let me run and watched, amused —as if you knew…as if you knew the sea and distant country too.This […]
I am not usually quick to give advice. The problem with advice is that the giver of advice does not have to live with the consequences of that advice. What works and has value for me may not work for someone else in another situation. Human beings are each unique. There is no cookie cutter […]
Every now and then, God calls us into a bigger world. In my hometown there was a local grocery store with an oversized parking lot. The extra space would often be used by various vendors – fireworks in the summer, Christmas trees in December. When we would drive by I would often look to see […]
The Local Pastor 