This Sunday, I told my story to a faith community I had never visited before. As I shared about the moment I shared my call to ministry and received in reply, “We don’t believe that,” I saw some of their faces cringe. It’s a story they have heard, and they have experienced personally. Now, years …
I grew up in a tradition where ministers wore suits and ties because they were all male. Pastors were considered to be CEOs and so it made sense that their professional attire would match that of the business world. This always bothered me, especially after experiencing worship communities in which the ministers were set apart in …
I relayed to Emmanuel this past week during our Easter celebration that Mary in John’s gospel account was in the same place. For years she had dedicated herself to being a disciple of Jesus, which was easy to define because Jesus was among them. He was literally walking among them, so following him meant walking …
I’m a recovering fundamentalist. If you had met me in college or high school, you would not have liked me because I had all the judgmental, black and white thinking that comes with fundamentalism. You know the kind that tried to convert Catholics and Methodist as though they aren’t Christian because they attend the church …
One of the great contradictions of Holy Week is it often comes just when the blooms are first appearing and the birds are singing as they busily build their nests. Yes, you say this is the reminder that out of death comes life, just like the Holy Week message. But that’s backwards, isn’t it? Aren’t …
Mo Williems is one of our favorite authors and we are big Elephant and Piggie fans, but this is not one of our favorites because Waiting Is Not Easy! In the book Gerald is waiting for a surprise and Piggie has guaranteed it’s going to be a good surprise and that Gerald is going to …
My friend Elisabeth and I have a weekly podcast about publishing, running, dogs, and whatever else is on our minds that day appropriately called Thinking Out Loud. I had to do some convincing her to actually podcast with me and as we did our weekly podcast, I still had to convince her at times not …
It starts slowly. At first it doesn’t seem like such a big deal. It comes across as complimentary. They need you. They don’t know what they would do without you. They wait for you to make important decisions or even to get things started. Codependency is psychological state in which one party is dependent upon …
The Danger of Codependency Between Ministers and Churches Read More »
In my work as a publisher, I encounter many people who tell me they have a great idea for a book. I find fewer people who tell me they are writing a book. I find even fewer who tell me they have written a book. But lately, I have encountered more and more people who …
When the fragility of life comes and taps you on the shoulder in one unexpected diagnosis, gender doesn’t matter. When your marriage, your, family, or your career fall to pieces, gender doesn’t matter. When death and violence come and sit beside you in Bible study, gender doesn’t matter. When declining church membership and contributions overwhelm business …
