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….

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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…

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Bent

I’ve been reading articles again.  What surprises me about the things I come across is not that people are using religious language to promote their agendas.  That’s been going on for years.  What surprises me is when a political agenda is presented in place of the Gospel, and Christians angrily go to bat for the…

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Appreciation

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned “Pastor Appreciation Month” before, that might still be the case if I hadn’t gotten a sudden impulse to pay homage to Monty Python. I have never gotten any special recognition during this month, mostly likely because no one from Central was aware that such a month existed.  I mean,…

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Index

“That’s just a ritual.” It’s a phrase I hear too often by people in churches, and far often by pastors who want to prove their own superiority over “those Christians.” I’d find it funny if it went so alarming. It’s funny because people who bash rituals will jump to their feet when they hear the…

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Benefits

I often feel pressured to join various ministry groups. The pressure is often voiced as encouragement, “Look what we can do for you!” Reading Making Friends, Making Disciples has helped to understand why I’m so wary of these groups which promise benefits I never asked for, and relationships which are artificial at best. If groups…

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