Church Life
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Lessons from 10 Years on the Road
Lord willing, tomorrow I will finish 10 years. Let me explain. 10 years ago, I could not stand how I felt. While I had (and have) a minor medical condition, it was more than that. I had gained some weight. I was lethargic. To say I was out of shape would be an understatement. So, on September 13, at 6:00 AM, I got up and went outside for a walk. The walk did not last long–about 20 minutes–, but I told myself that this was the beginning of something that I was going to stick with no matter what. That first winter, I remember the day when I knew I…
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Ezekiel’s Wife
What is the one blessing in your life that causes you the greatest amount of joy? What is the desire of your heart? What if that one thing that has become the pinnacle of your existence was to be removed? How would you respond? In the book of Ezekiel God sends a very difficult message to Judah by way of a sign in the life of this faithful prophet. Can you guess what it is? Ezekiel’s wife dies. That’s right, she dies. Ezekiel is even then told by God that he is not to mourn at the sudden loss of his wife but to rather sigh in silence. He is…
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“Whatever the Cost” : 3 Words that Make Me Think
Do you ever stop to think about the words you sing as you worship? Since we are supposed to “…sing with the spirit…and with the understanding…” (1 Cor. 14:15), it seems to me that this would be an advisable thing to do. At times, this is also a sobering thing to do. In fact, it could be downright challenging. I love the song, “I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary.” I especially like the sentiment expressed in these words: “And when time has surrendered and earth is no more, I’ll still cling to the old rugged cross.” However, there are some lyrics right before those words that challenge me. If I’m really engaged…
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Thank God for Squirming Kids: Why Congregations Should Reconsider Children’s Church
It seems to be happening in more and more places. It is about time for the sermon to begin, and a boatload of parents carry or walk their precious children to a different part of the building and then return for the lesson. The kids are in “children’s church” and the adults are in what is sometimes jokingly called “big church.” Today, I want to urge congregations to rethink this approach. Typically, when people want to start (or defend) “children’s church,” they give the same couple of reasons. Admittedly, both are understandable, but both also need to be thought through carefully. Some suggest that children’s church gives young people a…
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What’s the Temperature Where You Worship?
Do you have “thermostat wars” where you worship? Regardless of the season of the year, it is not unusual for there to be complaints about the temperature in places of worship. Some of us may have even seen a number of people walk by the appropriate thermostat and set it to their individual preferences. I even heard of one place where the active thermostat was hidden away and some “dummy” ones were placed where people could think that they were accomplishing something by adjusting them. It is remarkable what we will do to benefit our physical comfort. Did you know that there are people who are more concerned than you are about…
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I Beg Your Pardon
I don’t remember how many years ago it was when I first heard the song Rose Garden, sung by Lynn Anderson. It has a really catchy tune and in part the chorus lyrics said: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden. Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometime.” I think the reason this song comes to my mind on occasion is simply because the words to this chorus are so true. Life is like that – some days are sunny and full of good things, but others are cloudy, gloomy, and full of trouble. Life isn’t a rose garden! Often, we may leave the impression…
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Step One in Evangelism
I have not played golf in over 20 years, but when I played a little in high school, I was awful. Still, I remember the high levels of concentration needed to think about, address, and hit the shot. A golfer in Florida recently took that concentration to fairly extreme levels, though. As he was preparing to hit a shot from the fairway, a seven-foot-long alligator walked right by him, less than ten feet away, and the golfer never really noticed. The alligator literally walked in front of the golfer, who just walked up to the ball and took his shot while ignoring the huge creature. May I take that story…
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Why Can’t We All Just Get Along
I don’t like conflict. In fact, I really do everything I can to avoid it at all times. So when it comes to matters of faith you can imagine that it becomes even more important to me to get along with people as much as possible. How do you feel about getting along with people with regard to matters of faith? The longer I live the more I realize how difficult it is to get along with everyone in the religious community. This is not a God problem, it’s a man problem. There is perfect harmony and unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the creation is subject…
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Reconnect: A Retreat for Preachers and Preachers’ Wives
Every couple needs time to step away from the normal run, run, run of life and think about their relationship. Preachers and their wives are no different. That’s why we are excited to let you know about a special 2-day retreat being held in October that is exclusively for preachers and their wives. The retreat is called “Reconnect,” and we are thrilled to be part of the planning of it. Several months ago, our friends Josh and Amanda Ketchum met with us about this idea, and we have been working on it ever since. Today, we are proud to unveil this retreat and hope that you will encourage your preacher…
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In My Father’s House
Sundays are important. For my entire life, I have been able to count on Sundays. I knew every Sunday morning and evening my parents would be taking me to worship. Over the years this meant different worship locations and sometimes a different drive to get there. Once I got married, my wife also being a Christian, the only thing about Sundays that was primarily different was that by this time I was also given the duties of preaching. But we still drove to worship. And as the kids came along a new tradition was born… I decided that on the way to worship we would sing a few songs of…
