I’ve heard of church and community leaders coming together in the wake of a crisis (weather, violent crime) to serve and to pray. And I’ve heard of pastors coming together in small groups to encourage one another. Crisis or ministry affinity often brings together believers from different backgrounds and church traditions. But yesterday’s Catalyst Forum brought over 350 church and community leaders from Lake County, IL (and beyond) together for a time of spiritual refreshment and relationship-building. No crisis necessary;... Read more

‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ – Matthew 18:11-12 NLT It is oh, so obvious that the religious expert who prayed that prayer is miles off from understanding himself rightly, isn’t it? I revel in Jesus’ contrast of this man’s... Read more

Read part one here. True fiction for church leadersPart 2: The board put the PR machine in high gear – the machine Jeff had painstakingly assembled in the name of Excellent Communication – to massage the message they’d be giving the congregation about Jeff’s impending departure. Frank made sure Jeff understood that his generous severance package was tied to Jeff’s flawless performance of the leaving rituals they’d choreographed for him to execute. “We’d prefer to tell the congregation that you... Read more

If you’ve ever been involved in church leadership, the following work of fiction might read like a true story… (Part 1) Jeff was parked in his ancient recliner, wearing a shapeless pair of gray sweats and an “In It To Win It” T-Shirt. Sections of the morning’s super-size paper surrounded his chair, forming a moat of newsprint. Jeff stared at the tube as the Sunday morning talking heads debate the president’s latest economic stimulus package, each insisting they just wanted... Read more

Slices of StoryChicago: 1. “Weakness brings liberation. Confession transforms” – Dave Gibbons2. “Propositions will not save you.” – Chris Seay3. Note to self: Get that Frederick Buechner book already (Telling The Truth: Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale) since it keeps coming up in conversation.4. “We censor our stories when we only talk about our success.” – Mike Foster5. A drumline is a great way to announce the beginning of a session.6. “‘Be the person God designed you to... Read more

Listen to the Quiet I love the sound of a house full of kids. (Well, most of the time, anyway!) As my children neared adulthood, I wondered how I’d handle the echoing silence of an empty nest. Perhaps “wondered” is too mild a word. I feared the silence. I was mourning the end of my active parenting years, to be sure, but the truth was that my dread was deeply rooted in some painful early experiences with loneliness. That loneliness... Read more

With a title like Can God Be Trusted? (FaithWords/Hachette), I imagined the content of Father Thomas Williams’ book could be summed up in four words: Yes. So do it. The plain white cover of the hardcover volume didn’t do much to convince me that the book was going to be anything more than a restatement of those four words for 206 long pages. My first impressions were wrong. Williams, a professor of theology at Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University in Rome... Read more

The series below was originally posted in early July of this year, but one of the posts has been hacked, so I’m reposting the set of three here and deleting the original series. Enjoy a fresh perspective on this Scriptural account. THREE DAYS (part 1)After the rumored resurrection of Jesus son of Joseph, the strange little sect known as The Way had experienced a stunning resurgence across Jerusalem. This.could.not.continue. The city’s elders dragged Stephen, one of the group’s ringleaders, outside... Read more

Michael Snyder’s Return Policy (Zondervan) follows the stories of three people who’d never typically connect with one another, much less change each other’s lives: Wally, a burned-out, grieving novelist; Ozena, a single mom of a special needs child and customer service rep; and Shaq, a homeless man with a serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder. An unseen Hand much more powerful than the pain these ordinary people carry brings the three lives together in order to craft healing from each... Read more

It was the 1970’s, and as a refection of the times, we wrote our own vows for our wedding. I have copies of what we promised each other that warm Sunday afternoon, but for the life of me, I can’t remember a syllable of what either of us vowed that day. It is a good thing that God remembers not only our words, but the intent of our hearts. After 30 years together, Bill and I both agree that the... Read more