Woodstock: A Stoned Mirage of Freedom

I was only 11 at the time of Woodstock, so I look back on that event in modern history curiously.  My interests in music fuel this curiosity and I really enjoy some of the ground-breaking rock from that era.  Today, even my grown children take pleasure in listening to and emulating in their own music [...]

Sullenberger and Flight 1549—Prefiguring Christ

We raptly sat in front of the TV Sunday night watching the 60 Minutes story on the miracle on the Hudson River, Flight 1549.  Captain Sullenberger recounted, almost second by second, the drama of losing the engines on his jet and the quick decisions that led to the hard, but safe, landing in the water [...]

Discovering God’s Will: A First Step

How has God been at work in your life? We spend time reading Scripture, praying, rendering acts of worship, but we tend to treat these discrete passages of time as separate events.  There is a tendency to say that God is in each of these moments and then we work ourselves up emotionally, and these [...]

Attempt Great Things for Who?

“Expect great things; attempt great things.” Originally spoken in his sermon to the Baptist Association meeting in Northampton, England, May 30, 1792, William Carey, the “father” of the modern missionary movement, used the citation to urge his Baptist colleagues to enter the missionary enterprise.  It formed the twofold division of his sermon, framing the challenge [...]

U.S. Presidents on Their Faith and the Bible

I ran across some notes I had taken years ago from an old book, Profitable Bible Study by Wilbur M. Smith.   In my notes from this text, there were quotes from selected U.S. presidents about the Bible.  These quotes reveal much about the person and perhaps are instructive during this election year.  Also, the quotes [...]

Obama and McCain Going Public with Their Giving: Observations for the Next Generation

By now you are probably aware that both Barack Obama and John McCain have posted prior year personal tax returns on their respective websites for public inspection. Public officials being public about private financial matters merit some positive and public praise. But let’s be careful as we scrutinize the candidates’ charitable giving.
Yes, we see that [...]

Narcissism and God’s Will Don’t Mix

It is heartening to see the number of churches today that offer enriching courses to their members. The courses cover the gamut of biblical topics. At my own church it is always interesting to see which classes fill up the quickest, perhaps as a commentary on where the heart of the church is [...]

My First Capital Campaign

My wife Lisa and I learned an important lesson early in our married life about stewardship. We lived in a great community and were members of a great church. The preaching was good, the Bible lessons were good, the people were good, and most importantly, the food was good. Every time we [...]

Faith and Governance: The Role of the Ministry Board

Wisdom. Dedication. Leadership. Advisors. These are all terms commonly used to describe nonprofit board members. And all of these terms are applicable and relevant. But what about board members of the average nonprofit ministry? Is there one role that is more needed or desired over another? Or should other roles be added to the list?
To [...]

Google-ing John 3:16

You all have felt it. It was just a matter of time. Years of surfing the internet has finally caught up with us. Yes, I am talking about the effect of spending massive, cumulative amounts of time online on our brains.
For me, I can think back into the 1990s at some point [...]