New Mexico, July 2001. We were there on a mission trip; it was my last before I headed off to college in..
In the summer of 2011, I was in downtown Detroit (site of the 2014 General Assembly) for the annual conference of the..
Seminaries face challenging times, with financial struggles and student debt, and real questions being about how to best prepare effective leaders to..
We were sitting in our bathing suits and shorts in the ice cream shop waiting out a storm. There was thunder and..
One of the most exhilarating things in my pastoral life is when I sense that God is calling me to play..
The R&D (research-and-development) department is the incubator for innovation for any profitable corporation. Whence cometh innovations for the church? Simple answer:..
“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). Jesus’ appeal for us to share..
My teenage son, Garrison, called my attention to it, because I only glanced at the painting. He looked longer and more deeply...
There is a rather large poster that sits in my office directly across from my desk. It reads: “Once An Organization Has..
When you live or work in a college town, you can actually feel the pulse of the university. It’s faster in the..
Every church leader I know has found himself or herself in conflict. From grinding conflict to small skirmishes, from hard-edged rancor..
The day before I left on our summer youth mission trip, I lay in the middle of my friend’s pool, alone on..
The 2013 edition of the Big Tent event claims front-cover status this week. At least in number, however, Big Tent’s nearly 1,500..
I've been reading Ruth Haley Barton's book on spiritual disciplines called Sacred Rhythms: Arranging our Lives for Spiritual Formation. I've been drawn to..
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sharing practical skills and big dreams, roughly 1,500 Presbyterians gathered in Louisville Aug 1-3 for Big Tent 2013 — a..
One of the more difficult gifts of the Spirit to understand is found in 1 Corinthians 12:10, where Paul mentions “discernment of..
Dig into the history of the nation’s heartland, and down nearly every country road you’ll find a common denominator: dirt. So..
Can you capture what it means to be a deacon, ruling elder, or teaching elder in a short article that would serve..
As I am considering community housing with our sister church and I have been asked to reflect on questions that have been..
I first became a full voting member of a Presbyterian congregation in 1958 through a confirmation class. I thought it was cool..
Day 3 of VBS was over, and my children and I were in line at Chipotle to cool off and have some..
Elders’ and deacons’ first duty is not to tend to the needs of the flock but to train, empower and send their..
When I was growing up, my dad was clerk of session at our church. He took his role very seriously. He..
There are some things every Presbyterian seminarian knows, like how to toss around words like context, paradigm, kataphatic, and differentiated, how to..
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