Pastor’s Blog

This Little Game I Play

I like to play a little game with people called, “Watch this!” This may sound evil for a pastor like myself to do, but maybe I just have an odd sense of humor? In any case, it’s fun because all parties usually end up laughing at the outcome. I help ensure this by only targeting […]

This Little Game I Play Read More »

Practice Makes Perfect

If you were to interview those who have been deemed the “greatest” in their respective sport, each of them would concede that perfection is impossible (except for maybe a bowler). They’d likely go on to tout incredible discipline, evidenced by long, tedious hours of practice, often over years, sometimes even decades. Still, perfection for them

Practice Makes Perfect Read More »

Refilling Our Gas Tanks

We might drive our car twenty miles per day all week without a refill. However, if we drive five hundred miles, we’ll likely run out of gas. There are two fundamental considerations to filling our gas tanks. First, we must actually take the time to fill it (dah!). Second, a full tank of gas will

Refilling Our Gas Tanks Read More »

Practicing Being Present

Being present. Why is that so difficult? Is anyone actually “there” anymore when they are conversing with another? Go to the local fast food restaurant and watch how people, families even, treat each other. Their actions say, “You’re not worth my full attention, so I’ll offer you an occasional acknowledgement, either verbally or visually, so

Practicing Being Present Read More »

Elegance

River stone, sea glass, clouds in the sky… These are just a few things that come to mind when I think about one of my all-time favorite words, elegance. I won’t go so far as reserving its use for only transcendent observations, but it certainly holds a rarified place in my vernacular. If you’ll just

Elegance Read More »

How to Join the Perfect Church

“If you find the perfect church, then don’t join it, because you’ll be the one to mess it up!” — Phil Johnson, Theologian Mr. Johnson’s point here is that there’s no such thing as a “perfect church”. I couldn’t agree more. I’d argue that some people make this an excuse, claiming they just can’t seem to

How to Join the Perfect Church Read More »

The Value of Failure

What’s more impressive: a person who never fails or the one who fails constantly but keeps getting back up? My vote is for the second person. For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again. — Proverbs 24:16a And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need

The Value of Failure Read More »

Embrace the Suck!

I remember being on Facebook years back and reading a post from the daughter of an old friend of mine who had married a West Point graduate. Her husband, a highly sought after U. S. government asset, was spending many days away from his new bride. The Army life is a difficult one, to say

Embrace the Suck! Read More »