Meetings VS Relationship
August 23, 2010
"..Good at getting together and having meetings and you tend to think that having a meeting equals building a relationship. Simply put, this isn’t true. As a black pastor, I have been part of the Mennonite church for over 20 years. I am tired of going to meetings. Don’t get me wrong, you people run good meetings,” he said, then continued. “I wish folks would take the time to get to know me.” More »Comments (0)
Remembered
August 16, 2010
A couple of weeks ago I watched “Troy,” a movie loosely based on Homer’s Iliad. A scene near the beginning where Achilles must decide if he is going to join with the rest of the Greek kings in attacking Troy caught my attention. He has gone to his mother for advice and she offers, More »Comments (0)
Grace
August 3, 2010
Being divorced was really bad and it meant that you had committed a sin that would prevent complete forgiveness and restoration. It was almost, but not quite an unpardonable sin. Today, almost 30 years later, that conversation seems uniformed, ignorant and judgmental. More »Comments (0)
Biblical Family Values
July 27, 2010
There are lots of politicians and religious leaders who what us to believe that they know the exact definition. Lately I have begun to wonder if these definitions are based on fact or fantasy. Many Biblical stories of family reflect modern day families more than an idealistic idea of family More »Comments (0)
Ministry
July 19, 2010
In 20 short verses, the good, the bad and the ugly of ministry is laid out. Jesus gets to spend one last intimate meal with his closest friends, his best friend Peter still does not understand purpose of his ministry, and Jesus will wash Judas’ feet in one last effort to keep him from committing treason. What a picture. More »Comments (1)
Citizenship
July 6, 2010
Both countries are amazing places to live. Having to choose is a little like trying to decide which of my boys I love the most. But I have been thinking about citizenship and loyalties a lot this week as it relates to my Christian faith. What do we do with Jesus’ words about serving two masters? When does love of country become worship of country? More »Comments (0)
Hero
July 1, 2010
Near the end of this chapter he puts it this way, “A certain etiquette coerces us all into speaking in respectful tones about the past, especially when we are passing on Our Heritage to our young.” The downside to speaking in respectful tones is that we tend to overlook failures, foibles and short-comings. We end up with heroes who are almost god-like in their accomplishments. More »Comments (0)
Tread Lightly
June 22, 2010
One of the things we enjoy doing as a family is to ride motorcycles off-road. Just outside of Gunnison, 8,000 acres has been set aside specifically for hikers, mountain bikers and motorcycling. Last week we spent two days riding and exploring the vast network of trails. More »Comments (0)
Measurable and Not-so-measurable
June 17, 2010
Great before and after does not always happen and it rarely tells the complete story. Before and after is another way of talking about measurable accomplishments. When we reduce mission, ministry and service to measurability, we end up with a limited understanding of what God is doing and where God’s heart is. More »Comments (0)
Farmer
June 7, 2010
Whether he is driving his tractor, sitting in a restaurant, playing golf, driving his truck, or visiting family and friends, Danny is Farmer. He hasn’t been through any formal vocational discernment process, but he lives his calling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More »Comments (0)
The Dweller
June 3, 2010
It seems that North American culture is bent on creating walls of division. How did we get to a place where work, personal, family and ministry time are all separate and distinct from each other? When an individual chooses to blend family, work, personal and ministry they are often viewed as immature or dysfunctional. More »Comments (0)
Another Word with Two Meanings
June 1, 2010
n the church world, DOOR is known as a “short-term” program. This is not always seen as a good thing. For 16 years, I have had to deal with a constant stream of difficult questions ranging from the philosophical to the practical. Lately I have begun to understand “short-term” as another concept that can be understood from two very different perspectives. More »Comments (0)
Words with Two Meanings
May 26, 2010
“Has DOOR ever hosted a group from an urban church before?” My answer was quick and simple, “Yes.” But his question and my response have been bothering me ever since. “Urban” is one of those words that means different things to different people. More »Comments (0)
Church Planting
May 19, 2010
What does it mean to plant a church, and what should church plants look like? At its simplest, church can be defined as a place “where two or three are gathered.” More »Comments (1)
Ignoring Elephants – an introduction to Mennonite thinking
May 16, 2010
I was reminded of a unique Mennonite theological perspective when a pastor made the following statement, “The only sacrament the Mennonite church has is community.” Most other Christian faith traditions hold to a number of sacraments such as communion, baptism and foot washing. We Mennonites do all these things, but community trumps everything. More »Comments (1)
Inclusion
May 5, 2010
One of the things that I have always enjoyed about my job is the diversity. In our short-term programming, I have often experienced theological diversity. It is not unusual to have four different church groups representing four different denominations serving together for a week. The theological diversity can be immense. More »Comments (0)
Chaos Theory
April 28, 2010
The other day I came across an interesting article in Newsweek titled “Chaos Theory – new rules of management for people who hate rules.” In the lower sidebar there were 10 rules. As I have thought about these rules, it seems to me that Jesus introduced a type of chaos theory during his time on earth. More »Comments (0)
Here in America
April 26, 2010
I suspect that when we get to heaven folks will not be debating the merits of capitalism verses socialism. I find it hard to believe that Jesus would even have an opinion on which is the better system. From what I can tell, the only question that will matter is, “How did you treat the least of these?” More »Comments (0)
Bearing Witness
April 21, 2010
She died after a long struggle with cancer, leaving behind her husband and two children. I remember him talking about Job’s friends. These were the guys who came to comfort Job after he lost everything: his children, his wealth and his reputation. Initially, they came and just sat with him – listening and bearing witness. More »Comments (0)
One Body
April 18, 2010
One of my favorite biblical images is the picture that Paul paints of one body in 1 Corinthians 12. I have always been attracted to the Christian idea of unity. As a teen, I spent parts of every summer as either a camper or junior counselor at Lake of the Trees Bible Camp. I remember looking forward to my very first week at camp. This was going to be a place where everything was perfect. More »Comments (0)
Better Mistakes
April 12, 2010
I turn 45 this month. Generally I try to ignore my birthday. For reasons I do not fully understand, this birthday seems different. I have crossed a line. I am no longer referred to as “young.” My hair color can best be described as “grey.” More »Comments (0)
Control
April 7, 2010
Last week in Minneapolis, in response to the question,”How can MCUSA be helpful?” A local church leader responded with his own question. “Is it possible for Mennonite Church USA to engage the space without trying to control the space?” This question has been gnawing at me ever since. More »Comments (0)
Rights and Responsibilities
March 29, 2010
In the early 1980’s, while I was attending college in Canada, a national debate was raging about the newly written constitution. The debate over the partially written Bill of Rights was intense. As this debate raged, one of my professors notably started his class with the following comment, “What this country needs is a contract of responsibility, not a bill of rights.” More »Comments (0)
Obstacles
March 22, 2010
According to my Reformed brothers and sisters, the highest end of man (humanity) is to glorify God and to fully enjoy him (God) forever. This sounds a whole lot like “the goal.” Now, figuring out what the obstacles are is a tad more difficult. More »Comments (1)
Jumping or Talking
March 15, 2010
Last week I was at another one of these gatherings. As we were going around the circle sharing, one of the African pastors made the following statement, “We jump into mission! You North Americans need to process everything before you decide to jump” More »Comments (2)
Losing Your Faith
March 8, 2010
One of the men in around the table is a former pastor who no longer believes in God. This week he began to share about his journey from faith to rejection of God. It was not easy to listen to his story. He was the senior pastor of a growing church. He was well respected and loved. He cared for people. He prayed with people. He preformed weddings and presided at funerals. Somewhere in the middle of it all, he lost his faith. More »Comments (2)
Socialism
March 1, 2010
My alarm went off at 5:45 AM. I was not ready for Monday. One more day to sleep in would have been nice. To make matters worse, I couldn’t find the snooze button. There I was, stuck listening to the news at 5:45 AM. The lead story was about the new health care initiative. More »Comments (1)
Chaos
February 23, 2010
I was at Gunther Toody’s, a famous Denver breakfast spot, the other week for breakfast. Every Thursday, a group of retired pastors and church leaders get together to talk about what was, what is, and what should be. For me, it is fun to be part of a group where I am the youngest person by 30 years. Every once in awhile, they ask my opinion on a matter they are discussing, but for the most part I enjoy listening to their bantering back and forth. Every once in a while someone shares a real zinger. More »Comments (2)
Slave
February 16, 2010
The other thing I remember about this group was their name – Bondservant. It was taken from Philippians 1:1, “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus.” As far as I know, only the New American Standard Version uses “bond-servant.” Most versions use “servant” and give a footnote saying that it could also be translated as “slave.” More »Comments (0)
Space
February 12, 2010
Last week I met with a group of church leaders. Near the end of our time together, I asked the following question, “What do you do well?” One person immediately responded, “We provide breathing space. This is what we do well.” More »Comments (0)
Pressing On
February 3, 2010
Last Sunday I ran my first half marathon, 13.1 miles. The first 10 miles went much better than I expected. I kept up with the group of runners around me and even passed a few folks. That all changed at mile 10. It was like I ran into a brick wall. Miles 10 through 12 were pure agony. All I could think about was quitting -- More »Comments (0)
Thinking About Citizenship
January 26, 2010
You can learn a lot about a church by visiting its sanctuary. I enjoy getting guided tours. One can learn a lot about a particular congregation just by how the worship space is set-up. A few weeks ago a pastor was giving me a tour of the church he worked at. As we entered the sanctuary I noticed that they had two flags – a church flag and an American flag. This in and of itself is not all that uncommon. Lots of churches have flags. More »Comments (0)
Myths
January 19, 2010
Every once in a while, someone makes a statement that stops me in my tracks. Last Wednesday, in a diner just outside the Philadelphia airport, I heard one of these statements. “It is a myth that people with different understandings of theology can’t worship together.” More »Comments (1)
Listening and Learning
January 13, 2010
Pride is very rarely a good thing. It tends to blind us. A few weeks ago, I was on the phone talking to a co-worker. I was trying to make a point by demonstrating my deep biblical understanding. For the life of me, I cannot remember the point I was trying to make, but I do remember her response; “Jesus, the son of God, was on earth 30 years before he started preaching.” The comment stopped me in my tracks. More »Comments (1)
What this planet needs…
January 6, 2010
I would like to add a personal hope for 2010. Just before Christmas I was given a poster and the quote on the bottom summarizes my hope for 2010, “What this plant needs is more mistletoe and .... More »Comments (0)
You Might be Wrong
December 30, 2009
It never occurred to me that these rules and assumptions weren’t part of God’s plan for God’s people. Some of you are probably appalled that someone could grow up with this kind of faith. Others are saying, “You got off easy, we had way more rules.” More »Comments (0)
Heaven on Earth
December 16, 2009
I like the Christmas season. It is a time of year that brings out the best in humanity. The ideas of peace on earth and good will to all become real possibilities. This might be why Jesus called his followers to deny themselves. Something powerful happens when we choose not to think of ourselves first. C.S. Lewis, in his essay, “the Great Divorce,” tells the story of a bus ride from hell to the plains of heaven. More »Comments (0)
Unfinished Business
December 8, 2009
It is amazing how life can turn on a dime. One minute you are flying home trying to remember where you parked your car and the next you are wondering if you will ever make it home again. Last Tuesday, I was on my way home from Chicago. About 15 minutes into the flight, I felt a shudder and the plane started turning. More »Comments (0)
Emergent
December 1, 2009
About 30 minutes into a free-flowing discussion, a lady chimed in and made the following observation about the leaders in the emergent church movement, “They are just a bunch of cowboys.” Given the sharp tone of her voice, it was easy to tell that she was not using “cowboy” in an endearing sort of way. It soon became clear for her the emergent movement was led primarily by, white, conservative men. More »Comments (1)
Living in Two Worlds
November 17, 2009
I have always appreciated the concept of being all things to all people. In many ways these words have informed how I have tried to live my life. Identifying with people, especially those who are different from me is important. I want to understand where the other person is coming from. Until last week I never really thought much about the cost of “becoming like” the other person. More »Comments (0)
Living in an Inter-Cultural World
November 10, 2009
Near the end of our time together, the Swedish pastor raised his hands in frustration and said, “you people need to learn how to use simple English.” Those around the table for whom English was a second language all nodded in agreement. Finding ways to communicate across multiple cultures will not be easy. How do we train for this? How do we conduct meetings when multiple cultures are represented? I hope so. More »Comments (0)
Rethinking "Short Term"
October 31, 2009
If I were to push this conversation a bit farther, I would question the common definition of “short-term,” the one day to two week time period. I would suggest that anything less than 10 years should be viewed as short-term. More »Comments (0)
"Jesus was a Communist"
October 22, 2009
Last week, I attended a gathering of urban church leaders. The afternoon session began with sharing. The first pastor to share started with these words, “Jesus was a communist.” It certainly got my attention. I do not normally think of Jesus in quite that way. More »Comments (1)
I was thinking... of my Christian Faith
October 15, 2009
In today’s world, being “faithful” or “radical” are too often equated with death and destruction. Think of all the things that have been done in God’s name. The crusades. The inquisition. Segregation. Last year I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland. There are 40-foot walls dividing neighborhoods, More »Comments (1)
Health Care
October 6, 2009
Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars (1 John 4: 20) Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also (1 John 4: 21) Two weeks ago our neighbor ended up in the hospital. Hugo is 17. His kidneys no longer work. He waited to go to the hospital. More »Comments (0)
I was thinking... of bumper stickers
October 2, 2009
Last week while stuck in traffic, I started reading bumper stickers. It is fascinating what can be communicated in just a few words. If God's Not a Broncos Fan, Why are Sunsets Orange and Blue? Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for him Pray for Peace More »Comments (1)
Listening to the Urban Church
September 28, 2009
By the time he came to the end of his speech, I wasn’t sure how to respond or, to put it more accurately, I had not been given the opportunity to respond. It was clear that his goal was to have me pray the sinner’s prayer. From what I could tell, he wasn’t interested in anything else I had to say. More »Comments (0)
Just Listen
September 16, 2009
What does listening accomplish? It doesn’t paint a house, or run a program. Food for the needy doesn’t get sorted, meals go unprepared, and children miss out of Vacation Bible School. But listening has the potential to move me past my stereotypes and assumptions. It is tempting, when going on a “mission trip” to have all the answers and solutions for where you are going before you get there. More »Comments (1)
Exploration
September 11, 2009
During its heyday, around the turn of last century, a community of about 300 silver miners sprung up. By 1950, the town was completely abandoned, mostly due to declining silver prices. Exploring this former town and imagining how people lived is something we like to do. Taking the time to imagine and explore is important. We work at creating safe places for young adults to ask the tough and sometimes awkward questions. More »Comments (0)
Forgiveness
September 3, 2009
“Forgive quickly and forgive deeply;” with these words the speaker began Sunday’s sermon. The sermon was a good one, but I kept coming back to her opening statement. I spent 50% of my time agreeing and 50% thinking that she had no idea what she was talking about. Quick and deep forgiveness does not create space for anger. It forces me to deal with my anger immediately. It demands that I move past the hurt. It looks for the most direct path to restoration. It does not give me time to wallow in my anger. More »Comments (0)
Rest
August 25, 2009
He used three words that describe my current condition perfectly. Busy Fried Wreck Last week, in a meeting, I was asked to share about my summer. My response was simple – I wanted a do-over. More »Comments (1)
Visiting the Hospital
August 20, 2009
“This particular hospital,” he told us, “is located in the worst neighborhood in Denver. The crime rate is seven times the national average. Gangs infest the neighborhood.” Then, he made a statement that set me off: “No responsible parent would dare raise a family in this neighborhood.” I have no hard evidence one way or the other about the statistics this guy was spewing, but I do not think of myself as an irresponsible parent. More »Comments (0)
Church
August 11, 2009
Is it possible people have become cynical with the fragmentation and specialization of the church? We have liberal and conservative churches, emerging and traditional churches, non-denominational and mainline churches, those that sing hymns and those who sing choruses. More »Comments (0)
Glen Allen Givan
August 6, 2009
Author’s Note: Glen Allen Givan, a mentor and spiritual father to me died on July 31, 2009. This is a condensed version of the meditation I gave at his funeral on August 5, 2009. More »Comments (1)
The Mentor
July 29, 2009
Mike has taken the mentoring relationship to a new level. He is letting Jason in on his everyday life. This relationship is not just about meeting together once a week for “accountability.” Jason gets to observe Mike in the real world. When Mike gets grumpy or frustrated, Jason is there, watching and learning. More »Comments (0)
The Thief, Part 2
July 22, 2009
This morning as I was sitting on my front porch, missing my truck, wondering if the thief would be caught, I met another man looking for a criminal. As he approached, he handed me an 8-inch by 11-inch piece of paper, with a photo of his son and a short statement: More »Comments (0)
The Thief
July 14, 2009
Usually I drive our car to the office. Last Friday, Rita needed the car, so I drove the truck. When I got to the office, I parked it in the church parking lot. Two hours later, it was gone – stolen. This is the third time in the last 36 months that the truck has been stolen. You would think that I would be used to this by now. More »Comments (0)
Grumpy
July 7, 2009
In recent weeks I have spent time with folks who have been let go due to reduced giving. Others have been asked to leave positions because they are no longer seen as valuable. Some have been asked or forced to resign because they are viewed as part of the problem. Whatever the cause, it is easy to become bitter towards God and the church and to forget that vocational ministry is a privilege. More »Comments (0)
Tha myx
June 30, 2009
When a group from Canada and one from Alabama spend a week together, differences like accents, food preferences, worship styles and family expectations become something to talk and laugh about. When we create a place to talk about the “safe” differences a powerful byproduct is also forged. Space is created to talk about the big issues: race, nationalism, sexism. More »Comments (0)
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