Here’s what I mean by “Organizational Wisdom.” Wisdom is applied knowledge. It’s knowing how to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, for the right reason. God designed the world to work a certain way, according to certain principles that can be observed in nature, systems, organizations, and families. In […]
Church Isn’t Supposed to be Fun
Church isn’t supposed to be fun. Yep. That’s what I said to my youngest when he dug in his heels about going to our new church because he wasn’t having very much fun there. Just saying it made me want to pull my pants up over my belly button and comb the hair growing out […]
February 9, 2011 by 16 Comments
What I’m Doing These Days: A Professional Update
The following commercial presentation is brought to you by Vandelay Industries. It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a professional update. Let me remedy that. I’ve got several activities and projects occupying my time and energy these days. 1. I’m speaking on the weekends for churches and other organizations. I’m doing retreats, special events, and interim […]
February 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Longest Series Possible (Part Six in the Preacher Geek Series)
I have some preaching friends who can sustain long series of teachings. You know who you are. I love you for it. I just don’t have the attention–squirrel!–span to pull it off. I usually start getting bored with a series by week six. I honestly don’t know if series length matters to listeners, but it […]
February 7, 2011 by 8 Comments
Writing Down the Bones
In this video blog I talk about one of the most helpful books on writing I’ve read, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Special thanks to G. K. Self who recommended it to me many years ago.
February 4, 2011 by 1 Comment
A Box Full of Ticket Stubs
What do you want for your birthday? My answer to that question has changed over the past three decades. It used to be all about toys and electronics. My wish list was full of expensive gadgets I had no chance of getting. As I’ve gotten older, I want less stuff and more experiences. Last Saturday […]
February 2, 2011 by 3 Comments
Why Jesus? (Part Five in the Preacher Geek Series)
I’ve been getting great feedback on the Preacher Geek posts so I’ll keep sharing one a week. My goal with these posts is to give preachers some ideas for upcoming sermon series. Some of these ideas are based on things I’ve done in the past and some are from my “someday” file. If someone grabbed […]
January 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Let Your Life Speak
Here’s my first video blog. It’s far from perfect, but as you’ll see, that’s part of the exercise. (Next time I’ll turn my camera sideways) 🙂 In this video, I tell a great story from Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation
January 27, 2011 by 2 Comments
An Emotional Pop Quiz
I could tell he was listening to my side of the phone conversation from across the room. I lowered my voice, but he kept listening. He moved closer as soon as I put away my phone. “Excuse me. I couldn’t help but overhearing your phone call. Are you a pastor?” I told him I was […]
January 25, 2011 by 1 Comment
Thin Places (Part Four in the Preacher Geek Series)
Here’s an idea for a teaching series I’ve had ever since I read a book on Celtic Spirituality that talked about “Thin Places.” Thin Places are sites where heaven and earth intermingle. The veil between them is thin. The Celts had a number of thin places that they considered to be holy ground. The idea […]
January 24, 2011 by 5 Comments
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons