“How many you running at your church?” The first time I heard one pastor ask another pastor that question, I remember my first reaction was instant nausea. My brain started deconstructing the question, which quelled my queasiness a bit, but only because I found a way to distract myself from the topic at hand. It also helped me keep my trap clamped shut, since I had been a peripheral part of the conversation. I’ve heard lots of variations on this... Read more

My one of my favorite pit stops on the info superhighway is Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed Blog. (Can I see a show of hands? You too, right?) Thoughtful theological/eccelsiological/coffee/sports/Crocs discussion, emceed by a truly kind person. Since today is day 1 of that 40 days of purpose leading into resurrection day – better known as Lent – I thought I’d share one simple and heart-breaking (in the best way possible!) suggestion to consider as so many who are a part... Read more

My coffee table is covered with pictures of monkeys, goats, a spaceship, a glued-together horse and carrot and a lot of confetti-like pieces of paper. My grandson Gabriel was here today. It occurred to me the last time I was at Target that he’d never been properly introduced to the pre-schoolers’ friend: a scissors. It was big fun to help him learn how to cut today, and he was so into it that he didn’t even ask to watch (and... Read more

She’s adorable – no doubt about it. Come on – just look at that skirt! But how did she become our prototype for the Proverbs 31 woman? I was always pretty freaked out by her, because I thought I was miles away from ever being her. I used the Scripture passage as a sort of report card on how I was doing in the woman department. I was better at some things on the list than others. Totally flunked the... Read more

It started in a trailer behind a church building. It now resides in a converted grocery store in a small strip mall in a leafy neighborhood full of 1960’s ranch homes and apartment complexes. Part of the strip mall is given to fairly mundane tenants: a realtor, a coffee shop, a small independent bookstore, some office space. On one side of the strip mall is a free-standing gas station. Across the road, a small liquor store. At the strip mall,... Read more

In recent weeks, I’ve run across a new phenomenon in church leadership. It is that of the long-distance Pastor. As in, the person with the title of Pastor jets back and forth every week between his/her home in City A and his/her employer, a church in city B. These people tend to be the Communicators – the magnetic Sunday morning teachers who draw the crowds, or the gifted high-level strategists working behind the scenes. For years, conference speakers, traveling teachers... Read more

So I should start right off by apologizing. I’m sorry, O people of the Libertyville, IL DMV. I’m an oldest child, which means that I have a finely-tuned sense of justice. I am not a habitual line-butter. I have practiced waiting my turn in line from the time I hit elementary school and we had to line up on those grade-numbered yellow painted onto the playground blacktop before we could enter the building. I know the rules about waiting in... Read more

I have had a case of mild existential despair when it comes to my writing “career” these last months. As if the intense drama surrounding my mom’s illness and death in September, the sometimes-Screamin’ Eagle ride of young adulthood Van Loon-style, and the exhausting slog of looking for a church home weren’t enough to push a person to the edge of a ledge, there has also been the quiet drip-drip-dripping of a faucet in the background. The dripping is the... Read more

A few years ago, we were foster parents with Bethany Christian Services. We did “cradle care” which meant we’d have a newborn or infant living with us while the birthmoms tried to figure out if they were going to keep the baby or give him or her up for adoption. We had five little ones with us over a span of 2 years. Each situation was unique and brought a new story into our lives. One birthmom was older than... Read more

I love the way 2007 began for Bill and I: the pastor of the church we were attending at the time opened the building and made himself available to share communion with anyone who wanted to stop by on New Year’s Eve. The place was lit by candlelight, and he had quiet worship music playing in the background. We stopped by there – the place was almost completely empty – just the pastor and one other person, but God was... Read more