The Church of Perpetual Indignation

I love my brothers and sisters in the Lord, every one. I do. And among those with whom I am personally acquainted, I like almost all of them. Ask me why I love them and I can rattle off more reasons in three minutes than ten people’s toes and fingers. My Christian family has been good to me for over 50 years, creating in me a hunger and thirst for righteousness, instilling biblical literacy, calling me out when I needed it, holding me close when I didn’t deserve it, forgiving me when I failed, then forgiving again. And sometimes again. … Read more…

Gratitude Ages Well

My parents are in surprisingly good shape given what they’ve been through. What they’ve been through is eight decades a piece (and dad can tack on a half-decade to that). I hope I navigate my senior years with as much grace and humor as they have. One of their secrets, besides having exceptional children, is gratitude. They get fussy now and then, of course, but that’s understandable. Lots of things hurt and those parts that aren’t in pain just don’t work near as efficiently as they used to. But in most of our conversations, they volunteer the many ways they’ve … Read more…

Spiritual Warfare is Boring

A couple of years ago, I heard a wise elder describe a church split in an incredibly gracious way. He had been on one side of the schism and some in the room had been on the other. They had all long-since reunited, but if you’ve ever been through one of those things, you know the memories last and the pain can linger. So here’s what he said; “I experienced those events differently than some of you in the room, but it is a part of a history that shapes all of us.” A masterful combination of truth and grace. … Read more…

We Have Trust Issues

Some years ago a church member, clutching a wad of tissues damp with angry tears, sat silently in my office. I didn’t need a body language expert to translate the tension I saw coiled up on the couch. After a few uncomfortable moments that felt more like months, she spoke: “I don’t want to leave this church. My children grew up here. They were baptized here. We had my mom’s funeral here. But I just don’t trust the elders anymore. Or you. So, we are seriously considering going elsewhere.” For a season in my life, I certainly gave people good … Read more…

Pray And Post a Guard

I had just finished turning the wrenches on Sunday’s sermon when news of the Oregon shooting flashed on my screen. On Thursday, October 1, a gunman walked onto the campus of Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. In ten minutes, ten were dead, including the gunman. Nine others were wounded. Survivors report that the gunman specifically targeted Christians. Call it irony, another example of scripture’s frightening relevance, or Divine Providence, but the sermon was about how Christians respond to an unfriendly culture. While the investigation is far from over, every news outlet I have consulted has confirmed that the gunman sorted his victims … Read more…