Blog
- June 29, 2008
The 218 General Assembly is all over except the shouting. There will probably be some shouting but it was an…
- June 27, 2008
So they went to their official board, told them about Ferris and offered to start a chapter of “Parents of…
, - June 26, 2008
Howard and Lisa were really shaken. First, they had been told by their son four months ago that he was…
, - June 25, 2008
One of the images that Jeremiah used for the faith community was that of the potter and the clay. (Jeremiah…
- June 25, 2008
The Assembly has separated into a series of committees to consider the issues that have been brought to it. Monday…
- June 24, 2008
An additional opportunity made possible by relating to structures above the local congregation is to enable Christians to wrestle with…
- June 23, 2008
This same task of enlarging our vision so that we can experience the fullness of God speaks to the ecumenical…
- June 23, 2008
We have been at the 218th General Assembly for three days now. On the first day, we had a preassembly…
- June 20, 2008
In addition to what was said yesterday, the trans-congregational church can help make connections for ministry possible across diverse and…
- June 19, 2008
The heart of the experience of the church for most Christians is what takes place in the local congregation. Here…
- June 18, 2008
This is not to deny that many people fail to experience this quality of community within any particular church. Far…
- June 17, 2008
The challenge to bear fruits that demonstrate that we have repented or changed our lives so that we can recognize…
- June 16, 2008
Community is not a by-product but a central aspect of the revelation that takes place in the Body of Christ.…
- June 13, 2008
Consider an example of remembering the dismembered in our society. It was a university town in the early ‘70s. Mark,…
, - June 12, 2008
A central focus of his ministry is also that of reconciliation. For a variety of reasons, a number of people…
- June 11, 2008
We proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Word of our salvation. If the church is the Body of…
Evaluation (2)
June 7, 2012
Building on yesterday’s suggestion of expanding evaluation to the whole ministry of the congregation, an alternative would be to have…
Evaluation (1)
June 6, 2012
Two preliminary decisions with respect to evaluation need to be made. First, what is the purpose of the evaluation process?…
Jesus Choice of Disciples
June 5, 2012
Sometimes we look at the membership of our congregation and we grow discouraged. It’s helpful at such times to recall…
Narcissism and Connectionalism
May 25, 2012
Here is an exercise in counter-cultural connectionalism. It is designed to allow both the elders of a session and the…
Connectionalism and Prayer
May 24, 2012
The danger for an individual is to become to focused on the self. The danger of a congregation is to…
Connectional Church (3)
May 23, 2012
The counter-cultural message of the Christian faith is that a critical part of salvation is in discovering our true self…
Connectional Church (2)
May 22, 2012
The journey of faith is centered around relationships. To paraphrase Jesus’ summary, we are to love God and love our…
The Connectional Church
May 21, 2012
Given the anti-institutional bias of our society, it may be important to re-examine what we mean when we as Presbyterians,…
Narcissism and the Call
May 18, 2012
We all need affirmation and it feels good when other churches express an interest in us. The lived reality of…
Narcissism and the Pastor
May 17, 2012
If Jesus embodies an anti-narcissistic approach to life, then it is clear that not being a narcissistic pastor doesn’t suggest…