Blog
- January 29, 2010
Yesterday I spoke of the confessions of Jeremiah as useful sources of reflection when you are feeling despairing. Given all…
- January 28, 2010
In reflecting on this state of despair among clergy, I am reminded of the confessions of Jeremiah. Jeremiah lived in…
- January 27, 2010
When things are going well and there is a general atmosphere of optimism, we can grow slack on our theological…
- January 26, 2010
I was recently in a series of conversations with clergy who from various angles were talking about the sense of…
- January 25, 2010
A recent survey among the membership of the Presbyterian Church (USA) revealed the following differences between the clergy and the…
- January 22, 2010
How does a congregation partner with their pastor in listening to the Word of God? There are several steps that…
- January 21, 2010
Just because you are an ordained pastor does not mean that you consistently know the will of God. Given the…
- January 20, 2010
A pastor is called to serve a church but also has other areas of interest and passion that extend beyond…
- January 19, 2010
There has always been an interesting tension in the role of pastor. On the one hand s/he has been called…
- January 18, 2010
On Martin Luther King day, it is worth reflecting on a pastor's freedom. We read about the role that the…
- January 15, 2010
Consider the Great Commandment as a framework for care within a multi-staff ministry and try the following: Love of Self:…
- January 12, 2010
I think one of the very important intangibles about the whole discussion of money is the emotional freight it carries.…
- January 11, 2010
If you want to seriously review your financial situation, here is a process that can help. It is based on…
- January 8, 2010
Forgiveness goes far beyond the demonstration of acceptance of one who comes to you. Jesus was very clear that his…
- January 7, 2010
Second Session: 9:00: Prayer and Explanation of Use of Scripture. 9:10:Building on work of Session 1. Step 3: Take one…
, - January 6, 2010
I have been designing a retreat for a local church on listening to God's call for their church. I will…
10 Ways a Congregation Can Abuse the Pastor
August 19, 2013
We are a Community of Faith One of the cultural assumptions often accepted by a congregation is that the pastor…
5 Ways for Pastor to Heal Personal Hurt
August 16, 2013
Whining Doesn’t Help As pastors, all of us experience insults and behavior that causes us personal pain. I know from…
Five Hardest Lessons for Pastor/Congregation to Learn
August 14, 2013
1. We aren’t saved by perfection Pastor: If the people had a stronger commitment to (Bible, Justice, Ethical life, Church,…
God’s Been There, Done That
August 12, 2013
When God calls, some natural responses are: God, I can’t afford to give up the security of my profession to…
Ten top Reasons People Refuse to Hear God’s Call
August 9, 2013
God’s Call for All People In the Reformed faith, we believe that all people have a call from God. Of…
5 Ways a Pastor Can Appear Pious But Destroy Self
August 7, 2013
If People Ask It, I’ll Do It Many of us enter the ministry with a deep desire to serve others…
A Clergy Secret About Handling a Church Antagonist
August 5, 2013
An Enemy Within the Church Almost every pastor has the experience of having some person or persons within the membership…
Top Ten Reasons Not to Go to Church
August 2, 2013
With apologies to David Letterman, this is my list. You probably can come up with even better ones. It’s better…
The Biggest Challenges to a Pastor’s Sanity
July 31, 2013
I am away this week at the annual conference of the Presbytery Pastoral Care Network that is meeting prior to…
God’s Call — A poem
July 29, 2013
I’m not so sure That God called me I am a pastor The Spirit is gone The elders are…