I love music. Truly I do. I love to sing. But you wouldn’t know it on Sunday morning when I visit your church. I’m not talking to all of you, of course. I’m sure many churches, maybe even yours, get it right. I just haven’t been there that often, I guess. My experiences with modern worship music in evangelical Christianity often leaves me not just silent, but wondering if I should be joining George Bailey in making a quick exit from the... Read more
We don’t like to think about it too often. But life is short. It couldn’t have been that long ago that my daughter’s tiny hand barely wrapped around my little finger as she looked up at me for the first time. Now she’s as tall as my wife. “Breath’s a ware that will not keep,” said the poet, A.E. Housman. No doubt about it. If you don’t get clear on your life mission now, you’ll regret it later. The good... Read more
My recent guest post with Michael Hyatt featured a topic that seemed to resonate with a lot of people: 5 Ways to Keep Moving Forward When You Hit a Wall. I take it we all must feel like we hit walls often. One piece of advice I gave was to “refuse to come to a complete stop.” That’s true when you hit a wall. Sometimes in life we face a different kind of challenge. At these times, it’s not that... Read more
Hyper-partisan fans of the President won’t like Hugh Hewitt’s latest book The Brief Against Obama: The Rise and Epic Fail of the Hope and Change Presidency, published by Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. But those seeking a candid review of the facts from a seasoned attorney and communicator will find it indispensable for deciding votes this November. Hugh’s strategy for the book is clear enough. He cites law partner Gary Wolensky to frame the task: “If... Read more
As we celebrate America’s independence this week, freedom is front and center. But it’s not so readily available for the many women around the world today who have little hope of escaping the modern-day slavery of sex and labor trafficking. The Nomi Network is working to change that. They are a new generation of abolitionist with the hearts of a Wilberforce and the business savvy of modern global entrepreneurs. They help free woman vulnerable to sex-trafficking by enabling them to... Read more
Nothing is free! I can hear the critics already. I get that. You can’t grow without paying a price. But attracting and keeping people in the pews of your church doesn’t require a new line item on your already thin ministry budget. Photo via Creative Commons at http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammclane The question is are you willing to do what Jesus did to WOW those God has brought into contact with your church? First, take a quick visit to my guest post at... Read more
“Sometimes, bad is bad.” Huey Lewis and his mullet-loving friends had it right back in the days of Reagan. Sometimes, bad law is just bad law. Obamacare is bad law. It doesn’t help when a narrow Supreme Court decision makes it worse. I’ll point you to Tim Dalrymple’s excellent first take on the decision here to sort through the political implications and to Paul Mirengoff here for a summary of the legalese. Suffice it to say, I’m not a fan of... Read more
It happens to all people of faith. As committed as we are to read — or write — the Bible every day, we hit an awkward and dangerous place. We’ve completed one approach to Bible study but haven’t yet landed on a new one. When that happens, we tend to drift into a nasty place – the spiritual equivalent of the deer-in-the-headlights look. If only we had proven plans that would be effective and helpful. Different Strokes for Different Folks ... Read more
Ever felt alone? Jesus did too. That’s right. Messiah. Creator. Savior of the world. Even he dealt with loneliness. After all, one of the reasons he became one of us was to understand what we go through each day on this terrestrial ball. But unlike us, Jesus refused to give in to the temptation to fixate on that feeling. Jesus beat loneliness by speaking the truth to himself. It happened at least once, most noticeably as he gave his disciples... Read more
It’s been called the green monster. Invidia in the Latin texts. A deadly sin. And a common one. Photo via http://pastorerickson.com/?p=2211 Envy. It’s what’s for dinner — or at least it’s what’s often in our hearts by the time we get to that point of the day. By then, we’ve usually encountered someone having some success. More than we’re having, at least. And that’s all it takes. I confess to wrestling with this one. I think most writers — any... Read more
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