Since transitioning away from the pastorate four years ago, I’ve had a lot more time to sit, pray and think. I have conversations with myself. That’s right, I talk to myself a lot. My former self – the younger, inner city, small church Pastor Mike...
“The Christian life is not an accomplishment or an achievement, it’s a gift by the one who is able to give good gifts.”~ Walter Brueggemann The thing is, this all depends on our receiving – upon us accepting that everything originates with and is initiated by...
The Holy Spirit is the wellspring of creativity and a master of spontaneity. That makes “keeping in step with the Spirit”, tricky (Gal. 5:25).Not only does it take trust, it also requires a certain mental flexibility and spiritual openness in order to respond to him...
There was a time when James Brown could sing, “This is a man’s world…”, and be right. But today things are different. It’s now a lot less clear just how to be a man in this new world. Things like the toxic masculinity debate, movements...
Do you know what we’re asking when you pray, “Come Holy Spirit”?Do you understand just how risky it is? It seems safe enough. It’s a prayer spoken in lots of churches these days. But do we know what we’re getting ourselves into? Do we realize we’re...
What if you were stripped of all the props and scaffolding that make you feel good about yourself and your life? Would you become angry and miserable and stop trusting God or would you still serve him with all your heart? My wife and I were...
We can’t see mysteries, we can only trust them… One of the hardest, if not thehardest thing for me to believe is God’s providence in everything that takes place in life. By providence I mean recognizing God’s will in everything that happens to me and in...
Can you be too religious for your own good? Yes! We all know people who seem to be so religious that they’re impossible to be around. They’re devoted, obedient, sincere and absolutely unbearable! On the other hand, I’d say you can’t be too human the...
I know I might be stepping on some toes with this post but… Pastor, suppose you fed your family a steady diet of pre-packaged frozen TV dinners. After all they’re made for our ultra-busy lifestyles. They’re cheap, convenient, and require little preparation. But they’re not...
I’m something of a meatball snob, growing up in a Sicilian family and all. And although I’d probably get an argument or two, my wife’s meatballs are the best! She uses all the normal ingredients: ground beef and pork, chopped onions, garlic, salt, oregano, pepper, eggs…...