I averaged 53.2 hours of ministry per week during my time at Estes Park Leadership Training, so I wasn’t exactly twiddling my thumbs out there. Still, it feels like my roles largely landed in the category of “Helpful, but not Essential.” … Continue reading
I’m a slow reader, by nature. I like to absorb every word and thought, as much as possible. I appreciate the ways things are written: the language, the pacing, the artistic imagery. I prefer to be thorough, when I read … Continue reading
The Bible says we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. I’ve gotten better at this as I’ve gotten older — maybe partially due to diminishing reflexes, partially due to accumulated wisdom — but … Continue reading
On our way to visit my brother and his family in Texas for New Year’s, we had the chance to spend a day in Memphis and visit the site where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, in 1968. The former … Continue reading
We set out from the YMCA of the Rockies at 4:15 AM, a single headlamp and a vague sense of direction among the ten of us. We walked due north for a mile, knowing that we needed to find a … Continue reading
I will most likely vote third-party in November’s general election — as I have in each of the last three Presidential elections — but with this Tuesday’s Ohio Primary, I’ve given careful consideration to my vote and decided that I … Continue reading
We got a call from the middle school principal last week. Not the kind of thing a parent typically enjoys. In this case, however, the principal was calling to let us know that our oldest child, Elliot, had been selected … Continue reading
I’ve been told one might define “ministry” as the intersection of knowing God, knowing people, and knowing one’s self. The first two might seem obvious, but the third is also important. As it says in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of … Continue reading
I feel caught between two leadership principles. On the one hand, I know that cooler heads prevail in leadership. I’ve learned to tame my tongue. I’ve experienced the folly of acting out with incomplete information and unprocessed emotion. Knee-jerk rants … Continue reading
With each day of my sabbatical, I’m realizing more and more just how small of a man I am. It’s been challenging to plumb the depths of my heart over the last couple of months and see how shallow and … Continue reading
