Blog
- April 10, 2009
In some form or another a congregation, when they call a pastor, promises to "pay him (her) fairly and provide…
- April 7, 2009
Very few clergy or educators are under any illusion that they will make a lot of money in their profession.…
- April 6, 2009
Over the next few days I want to look at some of the ways that a congregation or judicatory could…
- April 3, 2009
Another means of being addressed by God is Scripture. So often we are engaged in Bible Study and reading for…
- April 2, 2009
Staying in touch with the source of our call is not a case of dialing into eternity. It is, however,…
- April 1, 2009
From the Reformed theological perspective, God's call can be present in all walks of life. An electrical engineer, a secretary,…
- March 31, 2009
As I talk to others about their call, I repeatedly hear them describe their initial resistance to the call. I…
- March 26, 2009
There is a sense that your call is not a one time event but is a continuing experience. In many…
- March 25, 2009
One of the great mysteries of call for me is why God calls who God calls. Can anyone explain why…
- March 24, 2009
Historic Presbyterian theology would declare that the Sovereign God, who is Lord of the world, offers a call for all…
- March 20, 2009
As I continue to explore how we practice the love of God, I am struck with the fact that the…
- March 18, 2009
Dietrick Bonhoeffer spoke of the psalms as a school for prayer. It is interesting to take seriously that possibility in…
- March 17, 2009
While prayer is a central way that we might focus on loving God, another might be receiving God's gift of…
- March 16, 2009
In continuing to look at the Great Commandment as a perspective on clergy self-care, I want to focus on Loving…
- March 13, 2009
One final note on the Sabbath and clergy care. In the Genesis story God reviews each stage of the creation…
- March 12, 2009
One of the powerful impacts of the Sabbath is that it interrupts the flow of whatever drives you in life…
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Slaughter of the Innocents
December 17, 2012
The slaughter of the innocents in both Bethlehem and Newtown Connecticut are real pain even as we celebrate the birth…
Hypocritic Oath for Pastors (4)
December 14, 2012
In recent blogs I’ve tried to identify some dimensions of ministry that can cause pastors to feel like hypocrites. Sometimes…
Experiencing Loneliness
December 12, 2012
I think I have shared an earlier version of this exercise before, but here is an updated version. An Examination…
Emotional Roller Coaster
December 11, 2012
If you want to know why you sometimes feel overwhelmed and exhausted, take a moment to reflect on the emotional…
Hypocritic Oath for Pastors (3)
December 7, 2012
In the last blog, I asked you to name some of your own hypocrisies. I suggested you try to identify…
Hypocritic Oath for Pastors (2)
December 5, 2012
The first step in following the Hypocritic Oath for Pastors, is to name some of the times when we are…
Hypocritial Oath for Pastors
December 3, 2012
I once saw a sign outside of a church that read: “The church is full of hypocrites; You too are…
Antibody #9
November 30, 2012
While it is understandable that we will have periods of anger and doubt, as expressed in Psalm 22, it is…
Antibody #8
November 28, 2012
Psalm 22 provides a biblical template for responding to the emotionally stressful atmosphere around us in a spiritually healthy way.…
Antibody #7
November 26, 2012
We have just passed through the season of Thanksgiving. The power of praise and thanksgiving as an antibody to the…