Note: this is an excerpt from An Ordinary Death: Where Grief and Relief Hold Hands, available from Amazon.com. For the fifth day now, I am sitting in my mother’s hospital room at Medical City Hospital in Dallas. After a really massive stroke sometime Thursday night, my sister found her Friday afternoon and she was brought here. Roller coaster ride–first it looked like she’d recover, then her heart headed back to the state that caused the stroke to begin with and... Read more
From the beginning of this series on why people avoid worship, I’ve defined worship as a time when unrelated people gather together to acknowledge God and intentionally move beyond our humanness into an understanding of the Holy. An integral part of transformational worship lies in the connection we make with others think differently than we do. Connection between humans requires vulnerability where we expose who we are, what life forces have shaped us, and what we value most. Think about... Read more
At our church, we often have a “stump the pastor” time during part of the morning service. Members of the congregation are free to pose any questions on their mind concerning the Christian faith and see how quickly I can come up with an articulate and biblically accurate response. One Sunday, a younger member who had been reading some work by Shane Claiborne asked, “In order to be fully Christian, do I have to give away everything I have?” Good... Read more
Two experiences radically change our perception of the world: First: travel that takes us a long way outside normal routines; second: learning a new language. Why? They expand our awareness of our interior lives and our habits. That which is normally rote and routine suddenly becomes challenging, even scary. Adventurous travel means going from the known to the much less known, or even the unknown. It carries some element of danger and discomfort. Luxury travel packages seek to lessen that... Read more
When I watch TV, I enjoy some forensic science shows and medical dramas. I suppose I’ve watched enough of them now that I could easily hang out my shingle and perform delicate brain surgery. Would you be willing to be a candidate for my first try? Only a fool would answer “yes” to that question. Watching McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy hardly qualifies me to cut into someone’s scalp and do a delicate dissection (nor does it qualify McDreamy, for that... Read more
I really enjoy the theater. I am fascinated by the art of an accomplished actor convincingly becoming another person. Such a one displays expert play acting–and, by definition, is a hypocrite. A hypocrite: someone playing another part, pretending to be someone else. So every time we go to see a performance, either live or on film, we are looking at a bunch of hypocrites. Now, on the stage or in film, that kind of hypocrisy is accepted and admired. ... Read more
As a real master of procrastination, I know the mantra, “I’ll get to it later.” A couple of days ago, I sat down at my desk and looked at my “I’ll get to it later” stack. It was not a pretty moment. Everything in me wanted just to shove it aside. After all, I could get to it later. I bet I’m not alone. Most everyone will occasionally delay tasks or the formation of habits that are difficult for the... Read more
I was watching “Clean House” for a little while last night as they tackled the “messiest home in the country.” It was pretty horrific, to be sure. I sat there wondering how on earth that family had managed to get into that mess, and feeling somewhat superior to them. Then I came to work this morning to try to clear some things off my desk. Now I know how they got into that mess: neglect of the little things that... Read more
Last week’s column on Excuse Number Ten for missing worship, “God will understand” sparked some interesting comment–and I do welcome those responses. They hone my thinking about this human tendency to place the responsibility for both major and minor decisions squarely on the shoulders of others. I know how often I become what I call “othered.” That’s not “bothered,” by the way. ”Othered” is the act of letting the actions of others dictate my own actions. I set aside personal... Read more
As I work my way through my list of excuses people give for choosing not to give regular time for the care and nurture of their souls in a corporate gathering, I have to look at myself. I have used Excuse Number Ten, “God will understand” multiple times as a justification for doing something I know I shouldn’t–or for not doing something I know I should. When I look at that statement just by itself, I become aware of my... Read more
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