THE COST OF LISTENING  Most churches would agree that they value a pastor who can listen with sensitivity to people…

DIFFERENT GIFTS BUT SAME SPIRIT   As part of Presbytery’s support of our pastor’s spiritual journey, we can build on…

A Sabbath Presbytery Pause in the normal work of a presbytery meeting and ask people to spontaneously respond with a…

Think about how a human church does evangelism. UNASHAMED OF GRACE The Gospels never celebrate the failed behaviors of Peter…

  BEGIN WITH THE WISDOM OF JESUS Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with an image of the type…

A slightly revised version of a joke sent to me by my cousin   The Presbyterian church called a meeting…

my theological rant NOT ALL TRUTHS ARE TRUTHFUL In an era of increased individualism and the ease of broadcasting hyperbole…

COMPARE MY LIST TO YOURS In a world that only listens to others make music; the church invites us to…

YOU’VE HEARD ALL THE EXCUSES AM I MISSING SOME?   Once when I was sick, the church didn’t visit me,…

WHY INVITE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP We are inviting people to step aside from their daily routines to touch and be…

  BOOK CLUBS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY Back in the late 60’s, James Naisbitt wrote a book, Megatrends,…

CONSIDER USING FICTION AS A MEANS OF WRESTLING WITH REAL ISSUES THAT FACE THE CHURCH. clergy or lay people can…

THE SESSION LEADS Having discussed this together as a session and with the pastor, on a given Sunday an elder…

GATHERING AS A SPIRIT LED PRESBYTERY   I think it is important that we have experiences at our presbytery meetings…

excerpt 2 from “Is There Salvation in the Church?” to be published in May. Facing the Sinfulness of the Church…

AN EXCERPT FROM A NEW BOOKLET TO BE PUBLISHED IN mAY: “IS THERE SALVATION IN THE CHURCH?” HAS THE CHURCH…

  AN EVENING OF LAUGHTER Laughter can also have a positive effect within a congregation. People who share a good…

  Communicating God’s Love     The diversity of theological positions in any given church or denomination presents a challenge…

HOW DO THEY SPEAK IN HEAVEN?   I am struck with the fact that the language of heaven reflected in the…

Loving God   “’You should love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul,…