Blog
- December 1, 2009
In Tom Ehrich's Column mentioned yesterday, after describing the challenge of being a pastor, he describes a type of leadership…
- November 30, 2009
Tom Erich, who I knew when he was an Episcopal priest in Winston-Salem, recently wrote a column in which he…
- November 26, 2009
I was recently talking to a pastor friend about his life and ministry and a very familiar subject came up.…
- November 25, 2009
It is the day before Thanksgiving and all through the house -- Oh, wait, that is another season. Anyway, on…
- November 24, 2009
Yesterday I wrote of organizing a pastor's appreciation banquet for the community. Today I want to suggest a couple of…
- November 23, 2009
I'm not sure whether I have written this up or not. A couple of weeks ago our community had a…
- November 20, 2009
A presbytery or other judicatory might want to consider having their own post-Christmas celebration for their clergy and families. The…
- November 19, 2009
One of the prices we pay in our profession is that our family can feel neglected during such high stress…
- November 18, 2009
Every pastor knows that the Advent and Christmas season is an exceedingly stressful time. I once had an elder say…
- November 17, 2009
In a recent issue of Presbyterian Outlook, (November 23,2009), there was an article that was almost a screed against the…
- November 16, 2009
Building on the idea of October being pastor's appreciation month, we recently had a community expression of thanks to pastors…
- November 13, 2009
We speak of the pastor receiving a call to the ministry but often assume that is a one time event.…
- November 12, 2009
While we often assume that a pastor will attend to the spiritual nurture of the congregation, it is not often…
- November 10, 2009
It is common wisdom that people work better and are more productive when their family is healthy both physically and…
- November 10, 2009
Back after WWII, when there was a freeze on salaries, companies had to get creative in how they were going…
- November 9, 2009
This week I want to look at what it might look like for a church to create a culture of…
Lies Christian Churches Like to Tell Themselves
July 22, 2013
Failure of the Reformation I’ve been thinking about all of the fighting that goes on among our churches and the…
A Fun Exercise for a Church to Deepen Their Faith
July 19, 2013
Here is one way to offer your congregation an opportunity to grow in their faith as a church and as…
How Daily Events Can Teach Us Theology
July 17, 2013
The Game of Theology Buy yourself a package of 3 x 5 cards and stick a few in your pocket…
6 Ways Healthy Clergy are like Rubber Bands
July 15, 2013
Recently studies of clergy health like the Duke Clergy Health study, have emphasized the quality of resiliency as important for…
One Future for Denominations
July 12, 2013
In reading Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat I was struck with its implications for denominationalism. One of the problems…
Where Are Denominations Headed?
July 10, 2013
Where are denominations headed? What will they look like in the future? As I understand it, denominations developed more…
The Pastor’s Spouse Has Cancer
July 8, 2013
Recently I learned that a pastor’s spouse had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The word has spread through the congregation,…
A Pastor’s Grief (16)
July 5, 2013
Humor helps us cleanse ourselves & gain perspective I realize that preachers have the reputation for being self-righteous and judgmental.…
A Pastor’s Grief (15)
July 3, 2013
There are times it helps to consider that what is happening may reflect God’s sense of humor. God, if you…
A Pastor’s Grief (14)
July 1, 2013
Let me suggest several ways in which humor can be part of our souls journey. First, we can help ourselves…