Archives For ministry

Pope Benedict XVI: History’s Greatest Quitter

February 22, 2013 — 5 Comments

Next week, Pope Benedict XVI will resign – the first time a Pope has resigned in 600 years.pope_benedict-620x412

Really, it boggles my mind that anything can be said to be the “first time in 600 years.”  The continuity of Catholic history is so much larger than even our own American culture.  (Anyone ever watch Eddie Izzard’s standup?  “I’m from Europe, where history comes from.”)

It may be easy to watch in curiosity at this turn of events, or let it pass by unnoticed.  Some people like to take another opportunity to mock the Pope and the Catholic church.

But I think Benedict has actually done a great thing by resigning.  I think it will actually be his greatest legacy.

This is why, for one of the first times in my life, I’m cheering for a quitter.

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In ministry
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These Are a Few of My Favorite Things This Year

December 7, 2012 — 6 Comments

With the year winding down, it’s a great time to reflect…

…especially on a few of our favorite things.

It’s kind of a tradition in blogging, and probably everywhere else too, to wrap up the year by telling everyone what your favorite things were this year.

I’m bringing you my list a little bit early, so you have some time to make a few last minute purchases for Christmas, or plan your lazy Christmas vacation accordingly.

Here are my favorites this year, from books to movies, to blogs to charitable causes, along with links so you can easily buy everything on my list!

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In blogs, church, culture, ministry
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This Is Going to Sting a Little Bit

August 8, 2012 — 31 Comments

article-2183860-145C293E000005DC-577_306x423What would you do to be healed?

Medical treatment usually hurts a little bit.  The doctor has to give you a shot.  He warns you it’s going to hurt.

When people suffer enough, they go through a lot to try to find a cure.  Some people resort to alternative or non-traditional medicine.  For other people, traditional Western medicine is enough of an ordeal.  Medical treatment can hurt.

Would you take a punch to the face to be cured?

Todd Bentley is willing to oblige you.  He’s the beefy, tattooed “evangelist” who promises divine healing from his punches, kicks, jabs and choke holds.

And just as quickly as he is gaining notoriety during his global tour with Fresh Fire ministries, communities and governments are trying to block his way.

So, God works in mysterious ways.  Who says he can’t work through a biker’s knuckles?

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In faith, ministry, pastors
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There Is No Such Thing as a “Seeker”

June 11, 2012 — 44 Comments

What are so-called “seekers” actually seeking?

You know, those seekers that we talk about so much.  Whole churches can be seeker sensitive, or seeker driven, or seeker centered, depending on how aggressively they want to seek seekers.  That was a weird sentence.

When churches decide they want to appeal to seekers, it drives them to try all kinds of ploys and tricks to gain and keep their attention.  But does anyone ever ask what it is that seekers are actually seeking?

I haven’t heard one person ask that question.

And that very fact may mean that churches across the country are at best, wasting their time, or worse, trying to lure the wrong seekers.

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In culture, ministry, pastors
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Telling a Dead Man’s Story

May 21, 2012 — 9 Comments

Hola, everyone.

Today, you might see a lot of bloggers in your reader answering the same question.  I’m really glad to be participating with writers like Lindsey Nobles, Nicole Cottrell, Ben Arment and my friends at Prodigal Magazine, talking about what it means to “live a good story.”

I’ll admit, that topic sounds a little fuzzy to me.  But with thousands of people flocking to conferences like Story in Chicago and Storyline, put on by Don Miller, it seems like everyone wants their lives to be a story worth telling (not to mention worth living.)

If you asked me what people today spend more time doing than anything else, I wouldn’t even have to think about it.

We spend days on end updating our statuses.  We go to great lengths to dress ourselves to make a statement.  We try to talk to the right people, say the right things.

We’re just keeping up appearances.

That’s what we call life.  Trying to survive and look great while doing it.  And end the end, we fail at both.

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In ministry
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Jesus Was a Crappy Evangelist

May 9, 2012 — 40 Comments

Jesus can make some situations pretty awkward.

A few summers ago, I found myself on the downtown streets of my city.  Yes, I was passing out tracts.  Yes, I was asking people if they knew where they would end up if they died that night.  I was doing this under compulsion, for the purpose of passing evangelism class in seminary.

The first night had gone horribly, because I had paired myself with a guy equally awkward at this as me.  So the second night, I latched onto a guy who was like the chief boy scout of evangelism.

Not that we made any converts that night.

Since then, the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses and even some Baptists have knocked on my door, and none of them look like they’re actually expecting any more success at sharing their faith than I did.  But I take heart in this: Jesus did some amazing miracles.  He had some great teachings.

But he would be terrible at this.  Jesus was not a good evangelist.

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In faith, ministry
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