I was in a room with a bunch of young pastors-in-training, and commented to a friend that I could feel the testosterone in the air even though there were a number of women present. “That’s not testosterone you’re sensing,” he told me. “It’s ambition.” As I observed the body language among the group (so many firm two-handed handshakes!), and listened to snatches of conversation, I realized my friend was right. Many of those in the room were anxious to impress... Read more
“Are you gonna blog about going back to school?” Since I announced last month that I was accepted as a student at Northern Seminary, I’ve had a number of people ask me if I was going to write about the experience. Though I’ve been blogging since 2006 and attempt to write honestly about many facets of my life, particularly when it comes to matter of faith and practice, my first inclination was to tell people, “I will blog about school... Read more
I attend a women’s Bible study at a church near my home. This fall, we’ll be looking at how God works in the process of transition in our lives. We’re using the book of Ruth, along with some of the psalms her grandson David wrote, as the foundation for the study. I’m looking forward to facilitating three of the sessions for this thoughtful, reflective group. In a lovely little convergence, I was asked to write a short devotional (below) on... Read more
For several years, I served as the Communications Director for a ministry that networked Evangelical and a few Mainline congregations for purposes of service/outreach, learning, fellowship, and prayer. Someone once asked me what it was like to interact with people of so many different doctrinal convictions and practices. I told the person I felt as though my life had uniquely prepared me for the job because my husband and I (and our kids, when they were still living at home)... Read more
I walked out of a meeting on Tuesday afternoon and checked my phone for messages. The moment I heard my friend Teri’s wavering voice asking me to call her back, I had that sinking feeling – you know, the one that hits you in the belly just as the roller coaster is coming over that first hill after the long, slow climb to the top. I punched her number, and she greeted me with the words, “Pam has breast cancer.”... Read more
The pastor’s wife leads the worship ministry at their small congregation. Or…the pastor’s son-in-law becomes the youth minister. It’s only natural that family members serve together at a local congregation, isn’t it? Even some of Jesus’ first disciples were brothers. The prayer and ideal is of families sharing an active, engaged faith. Wouldn’t the logical conclusion of this shared faith be shared ministry? Yes. And no. Did you know that the word nepotism has its roots in medieval church practice? One... Read more
An old friend who has been the pastor of a rural Lutheran congregation for more than two decades sent me the message below in response to the question I posed earlier this week about what ministry to older adults might look like. His response offers us a very important perspective on what multi-generational pastoral care looks like. There are many who may not have “Pastor” on our business cards, but have been graced by God with pastoral gifts. My friend’s... Read more
Since I started writing and speaking about midlifers’ changing relationship with the local church, various friends have pointed me toward a few churches who are making some sort of attempt to minister to their older congregants. As I learned when I offered my survey on the subject earlier this summer, many congregations don’t know what to do to nurture spiritual maturity in their “second adulthood” members beyond asking them to fill slots on the church org chart. This energizes some,... Read more
“I wish I were Jewish. I just love the Jewish people!” When some Christians learn I am a Jewish believer, they begin to gush their love of of all things Jewish to me. Some have stories of beloved Jewish doctors or accountants. Others share their deep political allegiance to modern Israel. Still others believe that they may have had a Jewish relative who hid his or her identity in order to survive the Holocaust or duck anti-Semitism in this country.... Read more
I hear voices in my head if I’m tempted to run to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things dressed in my work-at-home uniform of an oversized T-shirt, sweats and well-worn Birkenstocks. Those voices say things like, “Why are you going out in public in that schlumpy, sad sack of an outfit? Have you learned nothing at all from a decade of watching our TV show?” Beyond a mere makeover show, TLC long-running What Not To Wear explores the... Read more
Pilgrim's Road Trip
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