April 24th is National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. That’s fine for most children, but not so great for pastor’s kids. I have many memories of my parents taking me to work with them when I was a kid. When sick, I normally went to my mom’s place of employment, as she worked at a pediatric office. My dad invited me to ride in the back of the car as he ran his rural newspaper route. He... Read more
In the resurrection, Jesus employed all five senses to display God’s grace. Whatever your learning style, Jesus will meet you where you live. Sometimes we humans can be slow learners. That’s why God gave us five senses, so we can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the world around us. The five senses help us to make sense of our existence. Each of these senses is instrumental in our learning. Jesus Employed all Five Senses Science tells us... Read more
When you’re grieving, you expect certain feelings while others come as a surprise. But there is hope for those who experience grief. Grief can hit you unexpectedly. You can be taken aback by sudden feelings of heartache or linger in unexplainable sorrow. Grief looks different for each individual. But it has some common features. More Than Just Mourning a Death When you hear the word “grief,” you likely think of mourning a person’s death. But grief can take many... Read more
“I don’t believe in God,” she said. “But I do believe in Life with a capital L.” Renaming God as Light and Life can preserve faith for some. Maybe your friends don’t believe in the God of your understanding but still believe in the God of theirs. Renaming God can help you and your “faithless” friends find common ground. In this series, “Renaming God,” we look at alternative names for the Divine. These may help people come to terms with... Read more
Most people want power and recognition. But Jesus says that to be first, you must be last. To be whole, you must let yourself be broken. Whether it’s the place of honor at the family table, special recognition at church, or that promotion at work, everybody wants status and respect. But is putting yourself first consistent with the Tao of Love? The Tao Te Ching’s twenty-second verse addresses this. Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, Verse 22 J.H. McDonald Translation... Read more
On busy streets, attentiveness means survival. In spiritual life, learning to stop, look, and listen can help you quiet your soul to hear God. As I visit my grandchildren this week, I am reminded of how dangerous the world can be for children. Yet, I was pleased with how well my daughter taught her kids when I took my nine-year-old granddaughter for a walk. As we reached intersections, unbidden she stopped, looked, listened, and then declared the crossing safe before... Read more
Not all angels have wings. Sometimes God’s messengers smoke snipes, smell like beer, and sleep on the streets. Some time ago, I was on the way to visit someone who was a hospital patient but also a prisoner. A police officer sat by his door to make sure he didn’t escape, and to ensure he had no unauthorized visitors. I had the patient’s room number written down on a little piece of paper, but when I got inside the hospital,... Read more
Southern Baptist church autonomy (read: anarchy) causes problems for the ordination of ministers. They’re like, “No standards? No problem!” Nobody likes to be told that they’re doing something wrong—but, SBC Churches, you’re doing ordination wrong! On my thirtieth anniversary of ordination, I’m reevaluating a few things that make Baptist ordination problematic. Ordination’s Fallibility If you haven’t already, I invite you to bookmark this page, and go read the first two articles in this three-part series. Then, return here when... Read more
What is ordination? Does the Church still need it today? Rethinking ordination, we’ll look at its power, purpose, and problems it may cause. In my last article, I detailed my experience from my call to ministry to my license to preach, and then to my ordination. I discussed both the problems and the joys along the way. My next article will continue to investigate the challenges inherent in Southern Baptist ordination. In addition to the challenges, I will suggest... Read more
“Are you still an ordained minister?” my friend asked me. I hesitated. “Well, that’s a long story. Because Baptists make it complicated.” “My short answer is yes,” I told her. “I’m still ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. Although, if I had been ordained in nearly any other denomination, I’d have to say that I was ‘former clergy.’ But, because of the Southern Baptist structure, I’m ordained for life—unless the church that ordains me decides to revoke my ordination. There... Read more
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