It's true that people need a rest after the emotional intensity of Easter. But it's also true that "rest" shouldn't mean "take a vacation from God until fall." [Click title to read more.]
Tag: church
On That Whole “Don’t Criticize The Pastor” Thing
The key is to understand what "criticism" really means before we tell people not to do it to the pastor. Because when we simply toss out "don't criticize the pastor" as some unquestioning edict without thinking through the nuances of what it actually means, we create a space where corruption, sin, darkness, false knowledge, and destruction can grow unchecked. [Click title to read more.]
Five Fundamentals For Deep Church Friendships
Over time, I've learned that there are five factors that determine the structure of godly friendships. Where one or more of these is absent, acquaintance-ships tend to reign over anything much deeper. [Click title to read more.]
Ask Hard Questions, And Learn From The Silences
Awkward silences are always going to be endemic to church activities that involve question-asking. It'll happen sooner or later. The trick, I think, is not to ignore that silence or what it might portend. [Click title to read more.]
The Significance of the Letter
The breaking-down of difference simply to celebrate a shared Christian mission, or to work together, is I think much rarer than it used to be. [Click title to read more.]
Dangerous Assumptions
After some long and heavy conversations with people I had pegged as longtime believers, I realized that those in need of Christ aren’t just waiting outside in the secular world. They’re sitting in our pews. And they have been there for ages. [Click title to read more.]
My Frustrating Relationship With the Altar
Time at the altar is sometimes necessary, and very valuable. I wish there was more of it. [Click title to read more.]
The Problem of Christian Float
I call it Christian float: when believers can float into a church and even do all the "right" things in it (become a member, "plug in" to small groups or activities, participate in ministry) and somehow never end up fundamentally connected to anyone in the congregation. When they can show up faithfully and then leave the church after a day, a month, or after two years and find the reaction is exactly the same: indifference or ignorance. [Click title to read more.]
Why I Don’t Currently Hold An Official Church Membership
Every believer should have a place that they can call home, a place that invests in them, and a place into which they can invest spiritually, emotionally, and financially. In the meantime, it's okay if you take your time finding out where that place is. [Click title to read more.]
You Don’t Have To Go To The Huge Cool Church. It’s Okay To Think Small.
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with Huge Cool Churches. I do encourage you, though, to realize that a Huge Cool Church is not the only, nor always the best, option for worship. [Click title to read more.]
Samaritan's Song 