After six months in virtual exile, we returned to live, indoor worship at Good Shepherd this past Sunday. In preparation for it, I didn't feel nervous. Or excited. Or scared. I almost felt ... nothing. I now realized that was a defense mechanism to guard against...
Yesterday's message ... Was actually designed and prepared in MAY, when I thought we might be coming back to "live" church in JUNE. Welp! Drew parallels from our "return from exile" since March and Israel's "dream-filled" return from much more literal exile in Psalm...
It's been six months in exile. And Sunday, the exiles return home. Week Two of Comeback features a return to live and indoor worship at Good Shepherd. We know many of you aren't yet ready or comfortable coming back "live" yet and that's we're expanding to TWO...
One of the dangers of being a long-time Christian is that you begin to think you know what a particular section of the bible is about -- since you've read it so many times -- before you sit down to encounter it once again. Case in point: Romans 6-8. For many years,...
During my time in pastoral ministry, I have become relatively comfortable and effective at dealing with people who are in crisis mode.Not perfect by any stretch. But by and large I have been able to be a “non-anxious” presence in people’s lives when they are faced...
As a lot of you know, for the last year or so I have been providing Daily Reading Prompts on Monday-Friday of each week. It started as an experiment to help my men's LifeGroup study Luke together and has expanded enormously since them. The Prompts cover a section of...
Yesterday's message ... Should have been delivered 20 years ago. And then again 10 years ago. And then again five years ago. It touches on sometimes so deeply Christian and yet almost un-American that I found it too easy to put on the backburner; Was likely to...
Down for the count. Back against the wall. Throw in the towel. All over but the crying. Left for dead. However you phrase it, that’s how many of us have been feeling over the last few months. We’ve been knocked down and sent out and now more than ever we need to know...
I recently found this drawing of mine in some old photo albums. I believe I was about six years old, making this in 1967 or 1968. Notice I have my name on the FRONT side of the jersey (those of you who know me are like, "yep, he's a THREE alright!"). Notice...
Some time ago, I received an email from a friend at Good Shepherd. My friend is in recovery from alcoholism, so that is a frequent subject of our conversations together, and he knows how much joy I get from his journey to sobriety. Here's part of his email: I wanted...