Frances Havergal said this: "Faithfulness to principle is only proved by faithfulness in detail." Think about that. How applicable to the life of a pastor. I may believe in the principle of servanthood, but am I faithful to the detail of helping with Room In The Inn...
Thirty-one Septembers ago, in the year of our Lord 1987, I started classes at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. While I loved my three years there, I realize now there are some pretty important things I didn't learn there. Or . . . I wasn't paying...
In Made To Stick, Chip and Dan Heath talk about the "Curse Of Knowledge." It goes like this: Once you know something, you forget what it's like not to know that thing. That's so true. And especially applicable to the world of faith and church. Once you know the...
Podcast CliffsNotes? Really? Yes, it's true. Sometimes you're in an office without access to earbuds; other times you just prefer to read. If you don't have time to listen to my entire podcast with Jim Cowart, this post is for you. Jim and I are graduates of Asbury...
With the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament starting this week, it's time to wax nostalgic about my time working for the organization that puts on the event. Huh? From 1985 – 1987, I worked in the New Jersey office of the United States Tennis Association, the not-for-profit...
Yesterday's message was to set the table for this: Planned baptisms followed by the spontaneous variety, all leading to a morning where, as Shane Bishop says, the church feels more like a movement than an organization. And in what is perhaps the least...
We've had The Freshest Start. And then Fresh StartS. Then, this Sunday, it's Fresh Water Sunday. I believe we're going to see a whole lot of this: Will you prepare for this celebration by reading Acts 8:26-40? And then prepare even more by praying it will not be...
Something about this image strangely warms the heart of those of us involved in leading, attending, or even supplying curricula for bible study: With bibles open, group members sit in circles & not rows, and share their lives together through encounters with...
This is one of my new favorite photos of all time: Where? When? Why? In the Living Room at Good Shepherd. Last Sunday night, at the conclusion of an "Ask Talbot Any Question You Want About Life, Faith, Scripture, and Culture" event. Because we have an anointed...
Late last week, as the song that's going to finish #1 on this list came on the radio, I thought, "Now THERE'S a Top Five Subject! Best Breakup Songs!" Blessedly, I don't have a lot of personal experience, having not dated a whole lot in high school and then staying...