This week we want to talk about salience and how James Lawson is an exemplar, but first a new movie! When Luca tries to ride a bike for the first time, he does not know where to focus or how…
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This week we want to talk about salience and how James Lawson is an exemplar, but first a new movie! When Luca tries to ride a bike for the first time, he does not know where to focus or how…
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What is the most Important question someone ever asked you? Or short of that, what is the question someone asked you that changed the direction of your life? One of the questions I continue to return to comes from poet,…
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Presence. Attention. Sacredness. Gift. We need these in our lives. They are forms of prayer that connect us to the holy. This week I am thrilled to share with you an abundance of gifts for your practice of prayer. While…
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On this long weekend, what is on your mind? How to spend your extra day? Barbeque, burgers or chicken? Or maybe you are thinking about the relationship between citizenship and discipleship? No? Well, that’s where my mind is. On injustices.…
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Last week Chris Scharen and I conducted another interview with ministers and pastors out of seminary for 10+ years. I adore this beautiful work with the Learning Pastoral Imagination Project. I really cannot overstate how powerful it is to accompany…
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Christians are reimagining resurrection. Today we meet a pastor, a chaplain, and a researcher who are asking big questions about person and meaning of Jesus. Do you live with inspiration or with tension about the life and teachings of Jesus?…
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Just returning from the beach. Time away at a place that nourishes my soul. Walking by the sea always reminds me of my size and place in a very large world. And it also puts me in touch with sacredness…
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This week is a convergence. It is Memorial Day, and I’ll share the video “Identity and Place,” a story of Fr. Stephen who is a military chaplain and Orthodox priest. And we are also happy to be hearing from author,…
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What brick walls have you come up against in your ministry? Quite a few come to mind. Some of those walls are of our own making. In an effort to protect ourselves we build walls. Walls of self-reliance. Defenses that…
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In my new book Pastoral Imagination: Bringing the Practice of Ministry to Life, I address preaching in multiple chapters. I was fortunate to learn from wise and skilled pastors and professors in my years of seminary. Many of the concepts…
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We had two really exciting and fun times on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, launch day for Pastoral Imagination: Bringing the Practice of Ministry to Life! Did you miss the party? Well, it’s not too late. You can check out some…
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“Seasons of Ministry” On Sunday afternoon I was driving to my church for a leadership council meeting. Just as I turned right into the driveway at Glendale Baptist, a van was pulling up to turn right out of the driveway.…
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In this pandemic season, we are living through days of grief, loss, violence and trauma. To counter this reality, we need rituals that embody hope, grace, healing, and lasting transformation. As a ministry leader your task to to craft and…
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Creativity in Ministry Today I want to introduce you to Amber Simpson, artist and minister. Amber painted the beautiful “Seasons of Ministry” that now lives on the cover of Pastoral Imagination: Bringing the Practice of Ministry to Life. This is…
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Happy Monday Morning, Friends! Did you know that every episode this year in 3MMM Season Three is about a topic that is also a chapter in my new book Pastoral Imagination: Bringing the Practice of Ministry to Life? Did you…
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Contemplative prayer This weekend I shared the “Contemplative Prayer” video with some of my new chaplain friends who serve hospitals and prisons in Cuba. I was glad to share this video in particular because it has new Spanish closed captioning.…
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Recently, Kyndall Rae Rothaus shared a story on Instagram TV about pronouns for God. As I listened, she shared about a time when someone read scripture in a worship service and used the gender-inclusive pronoun Ze/Zer for God in the…
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In February Ruth Everhart posted in a writing group, to which we both belong, that she had extra copies of her book The #MeToo Reckoning. She was looking for ideas on how to move them. She had my attention. In…
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Editor’s Note: This week’s author conversation is about the #MeToo movement and the church’s failures to respond. It may be difficult for some readers. Mentoring relationships for ministry: at their best, they provide support and direction and care. They teach…
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Has the Spirit been speaking to you in the course of this pandemic year? Where? How? Through whom or what? The past year has been quiet in some ways, making listening easier as many of us work from home. We…
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In my early days of ministry, after graduating from seminary, I invested time and energy into writing for the church. I mostly wrote curriculum for youth and adults. And I wrote a couple of small books, also for teaching in…
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