I’ve read many books on the writing life, since it’s long been a life to which I’ve aspired. And now, with contract (almost) in hand, I’m actually really getting a taste of it. The attempts to be disciplined have, for the most part, been foiled by nice weather, t-ball games, Emergent commitments, and PhD bugaroos. But today I sit, ready to go. It’s a beautiful day. Summer begins in 32 minutes. It seems like a perfect time to start writing... Read more

That’s what I received in my latest fortune cookie. No joke! Well, it may be true for you as well. If you’re one of the first fifty (50) persons to email Carol Showalter at Paraclete Press today, they’ll send you a free copy of You Converted Me: The Confessions of St. Augustine, a book for which I wrote the introduction and a bunch of internal readers’ notes. It’s a great version of a timeless classic. While you’re on their website,... Read more

I’m going to be on KDKA AM1020 radio on Sunday night, 9-11pm on Ron Lengwin’s show. Call in and heckle. Read more

…to my first Out of Ur post here. Read more

You know how some friendships come easy and some come hard? Well, I’ve got a few of each. And, to be honest, the ones that come hard seem to fade over time. The more energy it takes, I suppose, the less likely I am to really invest the time and emotion it takes. Among my friends is one who falls into the “hard” category. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that this friendship used to be difficult. This... Read more

I’ve written a post for Leadership Journal’s Out of Ur blog here. Read more

Instead, I’ve been involved in a healthy conversation here. Read more

I’ve got a couple offerings at the Solomon’s Porch/Emergent Institute next month, in case you’re interested. One’s with Will Penner on youth ministry, and the other is a 2-day conversation about the theology of Jurgen Moltmann. I’d love to have you there. Read more

Maybe you’ve heard of “mission creep.” Well, I find it amazing how many distractions can creep into the life of even the most well-meaning author. Here I am, 10 days into writing, and I’ve got one page to show for it. Ugh. Lunches, emails, t-ball games, carpools. They all stand between me and a completed book. Well, at least the cleanse is going well… Read more

Maybe my favorite book of the winter was Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods. Rarely do I laugh out loud while reading, but I did often during my voracious consumption of this book. In fact, I left my original copy, given to me by Brandon Barker, in a hotel room (on the back of the toilet), so I had to spring for another copy while flying through O’Hare. It was worth it — what a great writer Bryson is.... Read more