Yesterday on the Deeper Story, my friend Joy posted a beautiful story about her ordination while on a mission trip to Sri Lanka. It was a huge coming out for her not only because what she shared was a personal, but because of fear of what it meant to say that she, a woman from …
Leadership
Year in Review
January 2013 began with a bang. A quiet bang that is. I left my position of pastor at Washington Plaza Baptist Church in Reston in pursue more writing projects and support the work of Feed The Children. I blogged and sought to practice Sabbath keeping as I transitioned. Some days it went better than others. …
Getting Married to God
On Monday, November 4th, I celebrated the 7th anniversary of my ordination. Seven years ago this week, I stood at the front of a church– Calvary Baptist Church in Washington DC and said to the congregation gathered of family, friends and congregation members that I would serve God in my vocational pursuits. I said I …
Hitting the Plazas of Nashville and Honolulu
These days the life plan of our household never extends beyond two months ahead– and this is if we are lucky. Kevin and I take opportunities as they come. Kevin never knows when the next international crisis will hit that will need us to pick up and travel. I never know when an opportunity to …
When Calling Takes You Outside the Church PART THREE
(If you missed Part 1 or Part 2, read here to come up to speed). Calling outside of the church takes a different kind of spiritual discipline to keep up than calling within the church. It’s a discipline they don’t teach you in seminary: being both pastor and lay person in the church at the …
When Calling Takes You Outside the Church PART THREERead More
When Calling Takes You Outside the Church PART TWO
In continuation of the conversation about what happens to your own sense of doctrine when calling takes you outside the church? (The first part of this series can be read by clicking here if you missed it). What happens when you don’t have a denomination or a presbytery or bishop or association telling you to …
When Calling Takes You Outside the Church PART ONE
I was taught in seminary that the most virtuous thing you can do for your whole life is to serve the church with an undivided heart. “The church needs you!” my classmates and I were told over and over again. Sometimes our instructions included more details like this: “Take care of the church like nothing …
Be Someone
We can’t help it, but in our society we are what we do. When you meet a new person (especially in the circles I run in it seems) the first question that gets asked when you meet someone new is, “What do you do?” And in response free-flowing answers are something like, “I am a …
Creating What Doesn’t Exist
People ask me all the time what I miss about church life? Do I miss preaching all the time? Do I miss the committee meetings? Do I miss the hospital visits? Do I miss the cranky people calling me after church on Sunday afternoon? I’m not really sure how to answer these questions. Because yes, …
You’re Never Too Old For Youth Camp
You are never too old it seems to go to youth camp. . . . even when you are not a youth minister bringing kids to camp. . . . even if you’re not a pastor of a particular church. . . . even if you haven’t sung a praise song on a screen in …
Same Love– what the church needs to know
Macklemore has been one of the most played new voices on the hip hop scene this season, especially as millions have fallen in love with his hit, “Thrift Shop.” And can I say, I’m in love with the social advocacy flavor of his entire body of work, The Heist. Macklamore is not your average rapper …
Lest We Think It’s Not Radical, Scripture Is
Being the religious nerd that I am and one who likes to keep up with popular cultural expressions of faith, I’ve watched two documentaries of note. Namely, Christiane Amanpour’s ABC news special Back to the Beginning and the History Channel’s mini-series, The Bible. After hearing several of my clergy colleagues talking about the grave inaccuracies …
