Do Not Neglect Your Gift

In a tender exchange between father and son, I witnessed the passing of a baton from one generation to the next - an exchange filled with great hope, anticipation, and sincere prayers for a God-filled future. So intimate was the moment, I felt like I was trespassing; and yet I had been welcomed into the moment, so I sat, watched and learned. So too is our scripture passage from 1 … [Read more...]

“You are a Writer” Book Review

It's that awkward question that has long caught me off guard and left me fumbling for an answer.  “What do you do?”  For too long I skirted the question, sharing instead something I liked to do or wanted to do. And invariably, writing was one of those things. But within the past month, I've begun answering the question affirmatively. “I am a writer.” Except that isn't my … [Read more...]

The Six Senses of Right-Brain Thinking: A Model for Ministry?

In the first half of A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink establishes the basis and rationale for his suggestion that right-brain aptitudes are increasingly necessary in our era, which he terms the Conceptual Age. Without negating the value of left-brain reasoning, Pink suggests six specific proficiencies: design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning. When combined with more traditional … [Read more...]

A heavenly quiz

Heaven.  No matter which way you turn it seems you can't avoid a discussion, debate or dialogue about heaven these days. What is heaven?  Where is it?  Who goes there, and maybe more importantly, who doesn't?  Within the world of theology and ministry, Rob Bell's newly released book Love Wins has caused a divisive uproar among many, and even resorting to calling Bell a heretic or … [Read more...]

Expanding our perspective

There's a story about a woman who drove back and forth to work every single day for years. After making the exact same drive for 5 years, she was certain she knew every detail there was to know about her 10-mile commute. However, one day her car was in the shop and she had to drive her husband's pickup instead. The drive into work that day was an entirely new experience.  Sitting up … [Read more...]