Blog
- April 10, 2008
Beginning with the writings of Paul, the history of the church is replete with problems which challenge the faith it…
- April 9, 2008
The first thing to recognize is that this is not a problem of recent vintage. The critical problem of Israel…
- April 8, 2008
If we are to understand how God works, it is impoortant to be honest about the sinfulness of the church.…
- April 5, 2008
I have just returned from a three week trip to New Zealand and Australia. I will continue my reflections on…
- April 1, 2008
Now the "Body of Christ" becomes a continuation of the embodiment of the Word of God. Like Israel, its life…
- March 27, 2008
The Scriptures provide us clues for how to look at the patterns of God's revelation in time. If the descendants…
- March 25, 2008
In seminary the person studying for the ministry is taught how to exegete Scripture. That is, they are taught how…
- March 20, 2008
The nine thesis articulated in previous blogs are the promise of the community gathered in Christ's name. Of course not…
- March 18, 2008
Continuing the nine thesis of how we experience salvation in the ordinary life of the church. Seventh, in a culture…
- March 13, 2008
Continuing my nine thesis of how we experience salvation in the ordinary life of the church. Fourth, in a culture…
- March 11, 2008
Because our culture emphasizes the spectacular, we often neglect to appreciate the value of the ordinary in sustaining us in…
- March 6, 2008
The church encounters the experience of grace in worship where a prayer of intercession invites us to crawl out of…
- March 5, 2008
What does it look like in the life of an ordinary church? Mark and Julia had been having a pretty…
, - March 4, 2008
If we are going to discern the Word of God as it takes on flesh in our congregations, then we…
- March 3, 2008
Any consideration of the Word being made flesh in the continuing Body of Christ must recognize that God accommodates the…
- February 28, 2008
For people to encounter Christ in the Body of Christ, they must believe that he is indeed present. Otherwise they…
Clergy Drop out — Family (8)
April 9, 2012
On this Easter Monday, when we have just celebrated the resurrection and new life, let us begin building a list…
Clergy Drop Out — Family –(7)
April 6, 2012
If you accept that the profession of being a pastor is stressful on both the pastor and his or her…
Clergy Drop Out — Families (6)
April 5, 2012
In the past several blogs, I have dealt a lot with expectations from the congregation, the session, each other, and…
Away on trip March 26 through April 4
March 26, 2012
When I return, we will again reflect on the pressure of the ministry on clergy families and how we might…
Clergy Drop Out — Family (5)
March 23, 2012
Sometimes when expectations are named, people will recognize that they are unreasonable and the expectation is altered or discarded. I…
Clergy Drop Out– Family(4)
March 22, 2012
From family therapy, I learned that problems can either bond or divide a couple. If, for example, long hours at…
Clergy Drop Out –Family (3)
March 21, 2012
Yesterday, you clarified some of your projections of what each of you expect of each other as a spouse within…
Clergy Drop Out –Family (2)
March 20, 2012
A major pressure on clergy families are the expectations, real and perceived. Expectations of others can be difficult to respond…
Clergy Drop Out – Family (1)
March 19, 2012
I once heard a Catholic priest say that the church considered the family our domestic church. I’ve always loved that…
Clergy Drop Out — Under Appreciation (4)
March 16, 2012
Several lessons in experiencing and expressing appreciation are: It is best if it is specific and not general. It is…