It’s something I have done since my first ministry. On Fridays I walk through the empty sanctuary, sit in each pew, and pray. I pray for the people who will sit there, whoever they may be. I pray that something happens to touch their hearts, strengthen their faith, or encourage them to live radically for …
I grew up southern. Even more significant, I grew up Virginian. The foothills of the Blue Ridge were my playground, the red clay of the Old Dominion was my sandbox, and the countless historical sites and landmarks were my classroom. I cut my teeth on the stories of the settlers of Jamestown. I can trace …
Ah, conventions. We church leaders love them. Leadership. Church Growth. Church Planting. Name the flavor and preachers, ministers, youth and worship leaders will flock to them. The best worship bands, well-known authors, preachers, and teachers will fill our minds with ideas and our hearts with zeal. And there in the seats we sit, with our …
It’s that time of year where I list all the books I have read since January. As always, the list is shorter than I like, but there are a few factors that contributed to that. One is a couple of the books were over 1000 pages in length. That’s not to brag, but just to … Continue reading
Remember. It’s a command that is repeated throughout Scripture. “Remember the Sabbath.”“Remember the God who brought you out of Egypt.”“Remember my commandments.”“Remember the things of old.” The Jews had a religious system of feasts, readings, and prayers that helped them remember their heritage. These observances were repeated yearly to make up an annual liturgy that … Continue reading
What is happening? That question pretty much sums up my social media feeds from last week until now. Ever since the events of January 6, where a mob of pro-Trump supporters infiltrated the Capitol in Washington, DC, our national psyche has been hyper-agitated. Some are worried. Others are angry. Everyone has someone to blame. Conspiracists … Continue reading
Hope was waning and faith was fading. The sun was slowly setting on the Jewish nation. Far too many oppressors had subjugated them to tyranny and oppression. Greeks, Syrians, and Romans had fought for the right to rule over a patch of desert not much bigger than the state of Delaware. All so they could … Continue reading
I’ve been thinking about Jesus’ words to Pilate a lot lately. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is not of this world.” -John 18:36, NIV For years I thought this statement was about location; that Jesus, being on earth, … Continue reading
Twenty years ago a young man walked across a stage and received a piece of paper that was evidence of four years of hard work, study, perseverance, and ping-pong. Tassels were flipped, hats were tossed, pats on the back were given. The future was before him, and he was eager to apply all that he … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again where I list the books I read this calendar year. The list is shorter, for several reasons (an increase in documentary watching primarily. Perhaps a blog on that should be forthcoming), but there is still a lot of material here that helped me mature as a leader and learner. … Continue reading
So what would make me come out of my self-induced blogging hiatus, you may ask. The leader of the free world approvingly re-tweeting someone who called him a “king of Israel” and, “the second coming of God.” That coupled with Trump describing himself as “the chosen one” during an interview about trade wars with China … Continue reading
I’m a firm believer in the maxim, “Great leaders read.” A few years ago I published a list of the books I read that year with the intent of doing so every year. This blog is where good intentions go to die, nevertheless, in keeping with what I hope will become a tradition, here is … Continue reading
O Come. O come and be God to us. Save us. From our shortcomings. From our insecurities. From ourselves. Rule over us. Rule over our personal kingdoms. Rule over our tiny fiefdoms. Rule over our relationships from the merely casual to the deeply intimate. Love us. When we are unlovable. When we are unable to … Continue reading
The Pondering Preacher 