You may ask yourself, what exactly does a pastor do on an extended break from serving at his or her local church? I’m not sure what other pastors do, but this pastor went to church, or rather churches. It would be difficult to estimate exactly how many churches we visited during our travels. In Rome and the cities we visited across Greece, there seemed to be churches on every corner and more than...
Forget the Floors; Preach the Gospel
Over the last several years, we have done a lot of work on our church building. We have replaced heating and air conditioning units, repainted walls in classrooms and throughout the main corridors of the church, and we have installed new flooring throughout much of the church. In fact, the last piece of business we conducted as a church before I headed out on sabbatical for a month was vote on...
Go Serve
One of my favorite weeks of the year is when I get the opportunity to join our student ministry, The Attic, on their summer mission trip. We work with an amazing organization called Mission Serve that specializes in facilitating mission projects designed to engage and equip students, grades six through twelve, for the work of ministry both in word and deed. We provide some basic training on how...
Sleeping on the Job?
I have a little Jesus figurine that rides around in a little nook on the dash of my truck. A friend gave him to me in an Easter egg a few months ago. I am under no illusions about the significance this little Jesus. He simply serves as a gentle and somewhat humorous reminder that Jesus is always with me; a much-needed reminder given my temperament and the skill level of most American drivers.As I...
Downcast with a 100% Chance of Divine Assistance
April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. Apparently, the good Lord has decided to alter the script this year. April showers have flowed into May showers, which are currently giving way to, you guessed it, June showers. The weather has continued to be overcast, drizzly, and more than a little dreary. It is a proven fact that the quality and character of the weather can have an impact on...
Babies and Bathwater
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” It is likely you have heard or used this phrase at some point in your life. It is often said that this phrase developed due to bathing practices in the middle ages. Due in large part to the absence of indoor plumbing and water heaters, bathing took a lot of effort. The process of preparing to bathe was quite the undertaking as enough water had to be...
A Little Swim in the Deep End: Noah, Baptism, and Victory in Jesus
There are certain passages in the Bible that make you go “HUH?!” One such passage is found in 1 Peter 3:18-22. Apparently, I am in good company. Even the great Martin Luther struggled with this passage of Scripture. He wrote, “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still do not know for sure what the apostle meant.” The...
Show Some Respect
From 2008-2011, Capri Sun ran an ad campaign called, “Respect the Pouch.” The commercials were actually quite entertaining. One commercial featured two boys outside enjoying some Capri Sun. Upon finishing his drink, one of the lads blows air into his pouch, inflating it like a balloon. He glances mischievously over at his friend as he places the inflated pouch on the ground, then begins pumping...
The End of an Era; The Start of Another
Taylor Swift recently finished her Eras Tour. The tour featured performances of songs from each of the ten studio albums she’s released over the course of her 16+ year music career. I wouldn’t call myself a “swiftie,” the moniker given to Ms. Swift’s most passionate and loyal fans, but I must confess that I do enjoy some of her music. In particular, I loved her self-titled debut album, Taylor...
Wrong Way on a One Way (Turn Around)
My office at my previous church had a large window. It provided a spectacular view of the beige colored brick wall of the Family Life Center and the alley that ran between the FLC and the main church building. It was a rather narrow passageway, only stretching 12 to 15 feet wide. It could be argued that the alley was wide enough for two cars to safely pass another. But, the leadership of the...
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