Courage kindled
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change… The Serenity Prayer became part of my morning ritual as..
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Who are we, honestly?
My wife and I are the parents of three young children. Almost every evening, we all sit down at our table to..
Dead air, living silence
I recently wrote about my first experience with video-taping Sunday morning worship. I began that service by lip-synching the opening theme to..
Mister Rogers in a time of coronavirus
Taking a deep breath, I pushed record and tried to smile into the laptop camera. Parishioners were counting on me. But I..
Who is God, really?
My 4-year-old came home from preschool singing, “He’s got the whooooooole world, in his hands!” His 7-year-old brother replied: “The whole world?..
Moravian cookies and singing the faith
Upon learning that I grew up in the Moravian Church, a person will often mention the cookies! A church can have a..
People of the words: On mundane
Andrew Taylor-Troutman reflects on words that guide people of faith. Find his blog series here. though this word pertains to being of the..
People of the words: On paradox
This week, Andrew Taylor-Troutman reflects on words that guide people of faith. Find his blog series here. In a poem, author Brian Doyle..
People of the words: On righteous
This week, Andrew Taylor-Troutman reflects on words that guide people of faith. Find his blog series here. “Righteous” is derived from the Latin..
People of the words: On humility
This week, Andrew Taylor-Troutman reflects on words that guide people of faith. Find his blog series here. Humble thyself in the sight of..
People of the words: On endurance
This week, Andrew Taylor-Troutman reflects on words that guide people of faith. Find his blog series here. Romans 5:3 identifies the need for..
People of the words: On posture
This week, Andrew Taylor-Troutman reflects on words that guide people of faith. Find his blog series here. A friend was raised in..
The speaking gun
While preaching from the Gospel of Mark, Brian K. Blount, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary, used a word in his sermon to..
Little signs
This week we asked our bloggers to consider their experience of alcohol and church. Here are their reflections. With her typical wry..
Friends go gently between the words
I sat in the publisher’s brightly-lit office, fidgeting with my hands. First, I drummed my fingertips on the armrests of my chair...
Pentecost and building a “God Exists” list
After the rushing wind and the fiery tongues, after the amazement of the crowds and the preaching of Peter, I read that..
Laboring transitions
I prefer “transition” to “change,” for a transition implies intention. Change is our only constant. But “transition” means to go or cross..
All are included
We asked our bloggers to share their biggest dreams for the church. Here’s what they imagine. The 5-year-old exclaims, “There’s my friend!”..
Ministry hack: Write a little song
This week we asked the Outlook bloggers to share a “ministry hack” they’ve learned. Here’s what they shared. Oscar Wilde once lamented..
The mirror of love: Listening to 1 Corinthians 13
Love is patient, love is kind… The minister begins the reading from her leather-bound Bible, and the famous love ode in 1..
That something that happens
“Between the rupture of life and the rapture of language lies a world of awe and witness.” — Christian Wiman I was..
Toes
We asked our bloggers to share what they have learned about managing conflict in ministry. Here are their reflections. What should really worry..
A resolution to wonder
Whereas a year is a wondrous fleeting thing, and there is no time like the present and no present like the..
A witness: Reading Revelation in Advent
During this Advent, I am reading through the Book of Revelation every week. Sure, it’s a helter-skelter time for a pastor, but..
Outside boys
“Go outside. Look up. Secret of life.” – Anne Lamott My wife and I are raising our children only about 30 miles..