What a way to end Summer

Shortly before I returned from vacation I received an email from my church treasurer. It had some updates on ongoing projects, nothing out of the ordinary. The last line, however, stood out. It said, “I would also like for you to be my guest at the Bruce Springsteen concert on September 2.” Accepting the invitation…

The odd-relevance of “hoodie-gate” for the Church

Mark Zuckerberg, who is a rather odd guy (I say that by way of affection, “normal” people annoy me), started Facebook.  He made millions upon millions of dollars and created a platform where people re-connect and share with one another.  Yes, it has problems.  They like to play fast and loose with privacy a good…

Distractions smactions…

One of the first objections I hear from pastors regarding the use of digital technology in worship is, “Then people will be too distracted, I want them to be completely focused on the sermon.” I don’t buy it, for several reasons. First, this makes the assumption that people ever were “completely focused on the sermon.” Well,…

Worship

   I guess people could argue that this should read, “It’s about being changed for service,” but I don’t agree.  All service (both in and out of “church”) is worship, and as we serve we’re supposed to look more like Christ. In a culture where worship  is often rated according to, “What I like,” I…

Aftermath

Let me be clear, I love worship and I am compelled to preach and teach – but by Sunday afternoon it’s usually all I can do to get changed and take a nap.  Worship is an emotionally powerful experience for me, and while I love to preach it does wipe this introvert out.  Throw in…

From the Garden to the City: Imagination

Note: If you’re interested in checking out From the Garden to the City before you buy the book – you can help unlock chapters by clicking here. When the assignments came out for this blog tour I have to confess that I saw my name next to “imagination” and did a little jig. As you…