“Let’s go surfing” I said to my wife and daughter (more pics here), as we pondered what to do with the few hours we wouldn’t be involved with family for my niece’s wedding. The girls were all “yes,” and so after calling a friend from a summer conference at which I spoke, we found ourselves on the beach this past Friday morning with surf boards, under the tutelage of a man who grew up in the waves, and taught us... Read more
One of the tensions that comes with living and leadership (whether leading a classroom or a family, a church or a company) is that you need to be thinking about tomorrow. “Where is this ship headed?” is one of the primary questions that leaders need to be asking, and it forces them to think about tomorrow, and even the day, or year, or decade, after that. Then along comes Jesus, and as he turns the gaze of the crowd towards... Read more
On a drive north today I saw a sign, similar to this picture, that was intended (I think) to hearken us back to the ‘good ol’ days’ of the Bush era. It was a big billboard of the US Constitution, with the words, “Miss Me Yet?” plastered across it. I know the political right likes to call all of us to the “intent of the framers” which means that the courts should make decisions by seeking to understand the mind... Read more
I’m not talking about whether or not you can play drums (though I ‘gotta tell you – they’re really fun). I’m talking about God’s gift to all of us, which is the various rhythms built into the cosmos, and into our bodies. There are many: 1. The rhythm of the seasons. The days are palpably shorter. Pre-season football has started, and the blueberries are ripe on the lower reaches of the high country. The land is ripe, and this ripeness... Read more
So a mosque is planned near ground zero. What do I think? I’m glad you asked. My answer depends on who’s asking. If a Muslim asked, I’d say, “Why are you planning on doing this near the site where America’s greatest mainland catastrophe occurred at the hands of your religion’s worst fanaticism? If you’re trying to build bridges with the American people, this is an absurd strategy. It feels a bit, ‘in your face’, like running up the score when... Read more
So a mosque is planned near ground zero. What do I think? I’m glad you asked. My answer depends on who’s asking. If a Muslim asked, I’d say, “Why are you planning on doing this near the site where America’s greatest mainland catastrophe occurred at the hands of your religion’s worst fanaticism? If you’re trying to build bridges with the American people, this is an absurd strategy. It feels a bit, ‘in your face’, like running up the score when... Read more
There’s a rock and a hard place unfolding in the global economy. The rock: We need to buy lots of stuff to keep the economic machinery going, so that there will be enough jobs, because when there are lots of jobs, people will buy stuff,which will create more jobs, blah blah blah. The market’s down about 240 (a big number if you follow it) as I write, because of worries people aren’t going to buy stuff. The hard place: The... Read more
I’m spending the last day of my vacation thinking through the coming year, and getting my “to do” list ready. The time includes taking stock of my goals and priorities, both personally and vocationally. Imagine my surprise, then, to see that #2 on the list of most e-mailed articles in the NY Times this morning is called: “Congregations Gone Wild”, an op-ed piece about pastoral burnout. The article couldn’t have come at a better time than the end of my... Read more
“Alone” isn’t really the right word, because I’m referring to the two of us, husband and wife. We’ve been on a vacation this week, not the kind where I’m speaking every day, but the kind where there’s been zero agenda, each day ripe with the opportunity for adventure or naps, or both, as our own choices dictate… Tuesday: Details Wednesday: A bike ride from somewhere below artist point, all the way to the top (each of starting at different places).... Read more
“Alone” isn’t really the right word, because I’m referring to the two of us, husband and wife. We’ve been on a vacation this week, not the kind where I’m speaking every day, but the kind where there’s been zero agenda, each day ripe with the opportunity for adventure or naps, or both, as our own choices dictate… Tuesday: Details Wednesday: A bike ride from somewhere below artist point, all the way to the top (each of starting at different places).... Read more
Fibonacci Faith: Changing Everything
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