Blog
- February 12, 2008
The letter came three weeks later. Allen's hand began to shake as he read it. It was the stone by…
- February 11, 2008
Based on Genesis 4:2-8 By Stephen McCutchan "Thank you for calling. I appreciate your honesty. May God bless you. Good…
- February 8, 2008
A midwestern church was proud of itself for having just successfully completed its capital campaign to redecorate its new sanctuary.…
, - February 7, 2008
How can we say that Christ is present in the church? For Bonhoeffer, God was not just an idea to…
- February 6, 2008
Yesterday I posed the question: "If God approached humanity through the Word made flesh, is it possible to consider that…
- February 5, 2008
Consider the possibility that the church israther than ought to be the Body of Christ. What if paul was not…
- February 4, 2008
Where would you place yourself between the assertion that there is no salvation outside the church and the position that…
- February 1, 2008
In recent years there has been an increasing attention paid to the issue of clergy self-care. I've written a lot…
- January 29, 2008
The nature of the church is being challenged by the culture of consumerism in which it exists. The consumer mentality…
- January 28, 2008
Beginning with Augustine but continuing with Luther, Calvin, The Scots Confession, and the Second Helvietic Confession, the church, both Protestant…
- January 26, 2008
As denominations attempt to change to meet the changing conditions of our society, a clear trend is to decentralize. In…
- January 24, 2008
Philip Jenkins in his book, The Next Christendom describes how the population center of Christianity is moving to the Southern…
- January 23, 2008
Bill Hybel, the senior pastor of Willow Creek, has done a remarkable thing. Willow Creek is known as the megachurch…
- January 21, 2008
When you read the various arguments that are being spoken and published with respect to the hot issues that are…
- January 18, 2008
Jesus has been traveling across Galilee proclaiming the good news of God and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the…
- January 17, 2008
How do we approach the question of what the church has to offer those who are part of it. One…
Clergy Drop Out (16) Loneliness
March 2, 2012
The church statistics are overwhelming that the drop out of clergy in the first five years is increasing exponentially. It…
Clergy Drop Out (15) loneliness
March 1, 2012
An Examination of Loneliness A major challenge for good pastors is how to handle the loneliness inherent in the pastorate.…
Clergy Drop Out (14) Loneliness
February 29, 2012
Once we have acknowledged the challenge of loneliness in the pastorate, we need to identify some additional steps in coping…
Clergy Drop Out (13) Loneliness
February 28, 2012
As a basis for this reflection, let me tie together two separate passages. The first is from Genesis 2:18, “Then…
Clergy Drop Out 12 -Lonliness
February 27, 2012
What most members and society do not recognize with respect to the role of clergy is the sheer loneliness that…
Clergy Drop Out – Expectations (11)
February 24, 2012
Another category of expectations that is often overlooked is that of the public’s expectation for congregations. While many in our…
Clergy Drop Out -Expectations (10)
February 23, 2012
If you want to identify some of the key factors in clergy dropping out, there are probably few areas that…
Clergy Drop Out – Expectations (9)
February 22, 2012
Whether with your email colleagues or with some group within the church, it is worthwhile to use the same categories…
Clergy Drop Out – Expectations (8)
February 21, 2012
I want to suggest that you try an experiment in testing out the pressure of expectations in your profession. Choose…