Do you see any clutter? I see a stack of it right beside my desk right now. Hmmm–I need to deal with that. Last Saturday, I opened our garage door and there it was. Not one pile of clutter but a whole room full! I spent part of the afternoon dealing with the clutter… Continue reading Getting Tired of the Clutter?
Category: Church
If Jesus Had a Church #3
I sat in his downtown office in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. My friend is a few years older than me, a former minister and now for many years has worked as an attorney. We will generally have lunch together once or twice a year. At these lunches, we will talk about life, God, ministry, etc. … Continue reading If Jesus Had a Church #3
If Jesus Had a Church #2
I spoke with a woman the other day who told me of becoming a part of a rural church when she was a teenager. She told me how they loved her and accepted her. She went on to say, "To this day, these are the most wonderful people. When we went through a difficult experience… Continue reading If Jesus Had a Church #2
If Jesus Had a Church #1
The sign said, "United States Penitentiary–Leavenworth, Kansas." We were living in Kansas City, Missouri at the time. A prison ministry group had asked me to speak at Leavenworth one Sunday evening. I have visited a number of people in various country jails before. I had never spoken at a Federal Penitentiary. A group of… Continue reading If Jesus Had a Church #1
Live With Some Confidence
I’ve been convicted twice in the last two days. One– I saw a friend who was full of gratitude for the way another family and another church had helped his family at a critical time. This family had lost much of what they owned through a real tragedy. I remember thinking, "I wish there was… Continue reading Live With Some Confidence
But When Do We Play?
Last Sunday evening, after Life Group, I went into the Norman’s back yard (meeting at their house that evening). All of the kids were back there playing. I picked up this paddle–a strange looking thing with suction cups covering one side. "Henry" (about four years old) then picked up another paddle (identical to the one… Continue reading But When Do We Play?
When God Enters Your Private World
Yesterday, he spoke-this young, soon-to-be father. He is in a Bible class I am teaching on Sunday morning. This class consists of people in their early to mid twenties, a few married and others single. A number of them are in a graduate school of some kind. For the last three weeks, we have devoted… Continue reading When God Enters Your Private World
Messy, Messy Churches
I’ve learned some things in the most unlikely places. I thank God for many years spent in school. I thank him for the opportunity to wrestle with important ideas. But–it was in Florence, Alabama almost 24 years ago that I began to wrestle with the grace of God. I sought to understand how a… Continue reading Messy, Messy Churches
One Another
Yesterday was a mix. Sundays are that way. A nice lunch with the class Charlotte and I teach (early 20’s). There are some wonderful people in this class. Later in the day, had good interaction with several other people. But the day was frustrating as well. A microphone whose battery goes dead ten minutes into… Continue reading One Another
Something Good About the Church
Occasionally I will visit a different church. Doesn’t happen much. Most of my Sunday mornings are committed. 🙂 I have these memories of visiting churches over the years when it seemed like one of the ministers or other church leaders were trying too hard to convince us that this was really a good church. … Continue reading Something Good About the Church