Using the iPad in Ministry

Last week I got an iPad 2, which I really like. Now the question is, “What am I planning on doing with this?” Let me share some thoughts on how I’m planning to use the iPad in ministry First, the iPad is going to be my default note-taking device. I really dislike taking notes on…

The Congregation as *nix

Note: If you don’t know what *nix is, this post will utterly confuse you. Instead, let’s go get coffee and chat. Being part of a Christian congregation is frequently frustrating for me. This not because I don’t love the people, nor is it because I look at the congregations I’ve been part of and think,…

A New Language

In the fall of 1994 (several months after the clip below aired) I was introduced to “the Internet.”  My transport was a creaky old portable computer, my engine was a 9600 baud modem, and the highway was called “Prodigy.” I was blown away. It took forever to do anything, but the endless minutes I spent…

War

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been watching “The War” by Ken Burns on Netflix.  I guess Veteran’s day is as good a day as any to share some reflections on the nature of this documentary series. First, due to my Mennonite background, I lean heavily towards a pacifist expression of the Christian faith….

Communication Bottleneck

There are a great many times when, as a pastor, I feel lonely.  It’s a sense that stems from a repeated sense that I live on a different planet from people who really want to do ministry with me.  The sense of being divided from these in language and thought-process leaves me feeling like an…

Getting Away

This comic is based on an actual exchange I heard during a church meeting while I was in Seminary. It gave me a headache.