Here some interesting posts that I would like to pass along to you. The basic theme is people of faith wrestling with some very difficult questions. I admire that. First of all, my friend who also is a part of our congregation at Rothesay Vineyard, Joni, runs a blog called Got Authenticity? where she writes openly about the fact that, as she says, “I am a Christian who struggles with same sex attraction.” She is a brave woman struggling to... Read more
Dan Baker, in his interesting and I think helpful book, What Happy People Know, reminds me of the New Testament, as well as Kubler-Ross, when he writes: In the ultimate analysis, human beings have only two essential, primal feelings: fear and love. Fear impels us to survive, and love enables us to thrive. This complimentary pair of feelings has been the driving force of human history. The pic is taken from Mark Hemmings’ New York City Photographs collection. Read more
I went to church pretty unprepared. I’m trying to teach more extemporaneously anyway. But your mind plays tricks on you so that usually you are prepared, just in your mind. This time I was totally unprepared. Many people in our congregation are suffering at new and interesting levels that I find rather concerning. We have people who are grieving serious loss, unemployment, child issues, marital issues, money problems, illness and more. The leadership of the church is weak right now... Read more
The CEO, Kathryn, in Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, says, I think my biggest strength, at least the strength that will have the biggest impact on our success, is my ability to see through fluffy, superfluous information and cut to the point that matters. I have a way of eliminating unnecessary details and getting to the heart of an issue, and that should save us a lot of time. The pic is taken from Mark Hemmings’... Read more
I have a minute to fill you in a bit. We went away for the weekend to the regional pastors and leaders meeting. We stayed in a motel in Moncton. Since my city of Saint John doesn’t have a Chapters or a Starbucks, Lisa and I went early to enjoy these in Moncton. We spent about three hours there, shopping for good books while sipping our double tall lattés. Delicious both ways! Then we got to our meetings. I’ve come... Read more
This weekend sucked for me. In so many ways. I normally dread meetings, and my dreads were realized. Don’t get me wrong… I like the relational part. It’s just the meeting part. Then we had a run-in with our teenagers again. AARRGGHH!! The only high point was being alone with Lisa, Chapters, and Starbucks. I’ll tell you more later today, but right now I have to go to church and pretend to know what I’m talking about, and that I... Read more
Martin Luther, in his pivotal book, The Bondage of the Will, writes: In every creature St. Paul, with his sharp, discerning, apostolic eye, perceived the holy and beloved cross. It reminds me somewhat of Mother Teresa who saw in everyone, including the lepers of Calcutta, the face of Jesus. The photo is from Mark Hemmings’ photography. Read more
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