Journey
Remember that scene from The Godfather? Don Corleone has just been hit. Michael, Sonny, Tom, and the Corleone gang, are trying to figure out how to settle the score. Michael, the cleancut college kid and war hero, volunteers to kill the guys responsible. Sonny chides Michael for letting it get
Journey
"Priority drift." I made that phrase up to describe the state I found myself in a couple of weeks ago. Simply put: my priorities had drifted. I found myself spread too thin, doing too many good things, and not doing the things I felt called -- even compelled
Culture
Thursday night the commonwealth of Virginia executed Christopher Scott Emmett. Emmett was convicted in the 2001 bludgeoning murder of his co-worker Mr. Langley. Apparently Mr. Emmett was guilty. It took a jury less than an hour to convict him. Mr. Emmett killed for his victim's wallet -- so
Community
Our Wednesday night schedule is pretty typical for a Baptist church. About 25-30 of us eat together at 5:45 PM, then prayer and Bible study takes place around the tables at 6:30 PM. Choir follows prayer meeting, which is the schedule in about every Baptist church I can
Journey
I forgot exactly where I heard that saying -- When God closes a door, He opens a window -- but as corny as it sounds, it's true. Last year, I dropped out of the "Missional Leadership" Doctor of Ministry program track at Fuller. The program is
church as abbey
In his delightful book Sun Dancing, Geoffrey Moorhouse tells the story of the three men who set out in a tiny boat without oars or sails -- for they wanted to be on pilgrimage for the "love of God." This pilgrimage, called peregrinatio, was a pilgrimage of the
Ezekiel
Can These Bones Live?Ezekiel 37:1-141 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and
Creativity
The community center is coming along nicely, and we are about 75-days away from getting the keys. Which means a lot of work ordering furnishings, contacting utility companies, planning the opening, and so on. All seems to be piling in at once, plus the continuing change-orders, additions, and problem-solving that
Journey
Tomorrow I bring the lenten meditation for the second of our Lenten lunches. I hope this helps you find your own desert during this Lenten season. Sent Into The Desert Mark 1:12-13 13And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days,
Community
From around blogdom, some good ideas that have translation potential for churches: 1. 20/20 powerpoints -- Kevin Kelley points to a new trend among business presenters to limit their presentation to 20-slides that flash for no more than 20-seconds each. Total presentation time: 6-1/2 minutes. Do I hear
Creativity
Eden's Path - detail of our house from a painting by Debbie. Debbie and I created a new blog to record our journey toward a simpler life. Eden's Path features the practical things we are doing to spend less, enjoy life more, and live in the
Congregation
For those new to this blog, a little orientation might help. I pastor a small church (avg. 80-attendance) in a small town (1300/population) in a rural county in south central Virginia. Our growth opportunities are limited, our church is 151-years old, and we have our own set of blessings