I was speaking recently with a colleague about preparing and delivering remarks for a memorial service when we came up with a formula for the whole process.If you write out whatever it is that you're going to say (and I usuallly do), here's what we pray happens:What's...
From the ages of 8-18, I had one goal in life: to become the number one tennis player my age in the state of Texas.The good news is that it actually happened. After a string of second place finishes, I finally won it all when I was 17. I liked it well enough that I...
Last week I posted about five moments in sports that brought me to tears.This week . . . the movies.I cry at odd movies, at scenes most other people don't find so traumatic. But anything having to do with fathers and sons or divorce or unexpected death . . . well,...
In many of the more liturgical churches, responsive readings are a key element in the Sunday worship flow.Often found in the back of the hymnal book, responsive readings typically take sections of Scripture, divide them into parts for the "Leader" to read followed by...
It's not often that we change a planned ending at the last minute.But we did this week.I believe our concluding time will be an ideal fit with all that has come before it. Not only that comes before it this Sunday, but all that's come before it throughout the But For...
Michael Luo of the New York Times writes a provocative piece on Jeremy Lin, Harvard graduate, Asian-American follower of Jesus, and current New York Knicks phenomenon.Last weekend, I was driving home when my BlackBerry buzzed with a text message from a Korean-American...
Over the past year or so, I've slowly but surely emerged out of a fog of cynicism.I went through a season where I was so frustrated with the actions of people who described themselves as mature Christians that I almost threw out the notion of mature Christianity...
Last week in the wake of Julie's post-Super Bowl euphoria, I posted about the top five times sports have made me genuinely happy.Today, it's the opposite side of that coin.What are those times when sports results have made me genuinely sad? When instead of tears of...
Every once in awhile, something happens in Sunday morning worship that I didn't even know was planned.Yesterday was one of those occasions.Our music set was decidedly "chill": acoustic instrumentation, worship-leading choir, Chris Macedo leading it all from the...
But For The Grace Of God got off to a terrific start last Sunday with well over 100 adults, teens, and children receiving God's grace in a decisive way for the first time. We sharpened our focused, adjusted our methods, and deepened our trust.And I believe this week...