“He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”… Continue reading

Time for politics! Did you get to watch any of the Democratic National convention last week? It is great to watch the unspontaneous, carefully scripted drama that happens every four years when the major parties gather, isn’t it? Outside of… Continue reading

Surgery is never fun… even when it is something as minor as a right shoulder decompression such as the one I had last Friday. Our skin is not meant to be pierced by stainless steel. Our muscles are not intended… Continue reading

I had the amazing privilege during the week of August 12 to 16 to be at Saddleback Church in Orange County, California attending the 10th Annual “Celebrate Recovery” Summit gathering. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-focused 12 step recovery program started… Continue reading

“How is it with your soul today?” I love that question. It is the accountability question that typically led off most of the class meetings in John Wesley’s day. What gets me is just how much is actually involved in… Continue reading

What an amazing event the opening ceremonies of the Olympics were! It is completely impossible to put into words the sheer majesty, magic, and visual power of the spectacle of more than 15,000 costumed performers, dazzling fireworks, high tech video… Continue reading

I hope it is O.K. to backtrack a bit and add one more story from our Colorado vacation. I had forgotten all about it until I just saw the principal character at church yesterday. It is such a good story… Continue reading

There are many times when the sheer size of the church I serve seems more like an impediment than an aid to ministry and community. The sheer mass of 12,000+ people claiming some level of association with the church can… Continue reading

For a long time now I have been drawn repeatedly to the subject of forgiveness. Perhaps because I struggle with it so much myself… both on the extending and the receiving ends. As I feel the urge to lash back… Continue reading

Exhausting. Exhilarating. Challenging. Worth every step of the process! While these are actually the words I would use to describe my climb to the top of the Twin Sisters peak here in Colorado yesterday (11,402 foot elevation), it seems to… Continue reading