"She knew him and loved him anyway" These words were written by legendary country singer June Carter Cash who died in heart surgery at the age of 73. She and her husband Johnny Cash are country music legends. June Carter Cash wrote these words over 40 years ago. They were sung by her husband… Continue reading And Now a Word From Johnny Cash
Category: Ministry
Dealing with Depression (Part 2)
Yesterday, I reflected on depression. As I mentioned yesterday, this is a topic that is wide ranging in terms of its severity. I encourage you to read through yesterday’s comments (they’re better than the original post!). What I described was related to a very difficult church situation about fifteen years ago. We then moved… Continue reading Dealing with Depression (Part 2)
Dealing with Depression (Part 1)
The conversation goes something like this: "He has been really having a tough time. Things at work have not been going well. And–he’s dealing with some depression." "I keep the curtains closed most of the time. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed. I know I’m dealing with some depression." "My wife… Continue reading Dealing with Depression (Part 1)
What Is It Like?
Yesterday, I sat by the window at Starbucks talking to a very fine college student. Out of my mouth came these words, "I love what I do!" That is very true–most of the time. Now of course I don’t like everything about my work. There are times when I fight discouragement. And–there are times when… Continue reading What Is It Like?
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
On Being Present
This morning I am in Florence, Alabama for the funeral of the father of a close friend. Last night at the funeral home, there was "visitation" for two different families. Many, many people were coming and going. There were long lines for both families. Throughout this funeral home, one could hear lots of conversation. … Continue reading On Being Present
When Conformity is Deadly
Last summer, I was in Nashville and picked up a very fine little book by Erwin Raphael McManus entitled, The Barbarian Way. I bought the book because I had already stood in the bookstore for fifteen minutes reading it. It was very interesting. That night, I read the remainder of the book. I love this… Continue reading When Conformity is Deadly
Past and Present
In the last few weeks, I have heard through e-mail from some great people who I haven’t heard from in years. A few of them had stumbled on to this blog. A couple of others found my e-mail address through other friends. What made this particularly special is that all of them were from… Continue reading Past and Present
What Do You Do For a Living?
Why would anyone want to be a minister? Do these people even live in the real world? I was getting ready to board a plane from Seattle to Austin. The plane was scheduled to leave at 7:00 PM. As we all waited for our turn to board, I noticed that a lot of… Continue reading What Do You Do For a Living?
If Jesus Told The Truth
I am thinking about my teaching/preaching. I am thinking my words, my sermons, and the over all message these people hear. I am thinking even more about my own life. At times, I feel like I have gotten lost in a system that has eaten me alive. At other times, I think that I… Continue reading If Jesus Told The Truth