A couple of weeks ago an article called “Fifteen Reasons Why Your Pastor Should Not Visit Much” by Thom Rainer was circulating widely on Social Media. It has been rattling around in my mind for a few days and I’ve debated whether or not to post my own thoughts on visiting. Ultimately, I decided to […]
15 Reasons Pastors Should Visit As Much as Possible Read More »
Crying in the Toilet Paper Aisle Last year during advent I went to the grocery store to get toilet paper. Doesn’t seem like something I’d remember a year later, except for the fact that I know began to cry, right there in front of the toilet paper. I can’t remember what the underlying sadness was about,
Fasting During Advent: A Spiritual Practice Read More »
Tomorrow is All Saint’s Day. Today is Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve. There are so many cultural traditions around this time of year in the US… dressing up, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating. The one tradition that I like to emphasize with families is the idea of remembering family members who have gone before us. On All
Make a Memory Table for Someone Who has Died #AllSaintsDay #KidMin Read More »
Nine Things Christians Can Edit Out of Our “Helping Speech” A few months ago I was really struggling with anxiety and migraines. I felt overwhelmed and and a general sense that life was too much to handle. I called on friends (as you do) to help me pick up the pieces. One friend, in particular,
Say THIS not THAT: 9 Things to Edit out of Christian Helping Speech Read More »
This week I caught up with a colleague over a cup of coffee. It was there she told the story of an Easter morning debacle unlike any I had ever heard: A rat had crawled into the oven and died sometime during lent. When the oven was turned on to heat up breakfast casseroles, the
The Stench of Resurrection Read More »
Traci’s Note: One of the things that always seems strange to me in the protestant tradition is that of confirmation. If done right, I think confirmation can be a rich time where young people grow to understand their faith and their role in it. Many times, though, students report confirmation as a time where they are
Here’s something I’ve noticed, and maybe you have too… there are some things that we don’t talk about at church. When I say church I don’t mean Northwood Presbyterian Church in San Antonio or First Baptist Church of Anytown or Hope Bible Church in Largecity… I mean church in general. Any church. Some things are
The Things We Don’t Talk About at Church… Read More »
The Saturday before Easter, my lovely congregation will be holding a little Easter Egg hunt with cupcakes, cascarones, music and laughter. Some pastors might argue this is liturgically, theologically or spiritually inappropriate. I don’t think so, and here are four reasons why. 1. The Easter date was chosen to coincide with a pagan festival… there’s
Four Reasons Why This Pastor Encourages Egg Hunts in Churches Read More »
Here we are, in the season of advent. See, right there, you know I’m a pastor nerd. For most people, this is “the Holidays” or “the Christmas Season.” For pastors, it’s advent. What’s the difference? Well, advent is a time of waiting and longing for the coming of Christ. It’s actually kind of somber and
Last week the Wall Street Journal ran an article about a United Methodist congregation that was getting in trouble for offering online communion. The church is an entirely online church, the services stream online, there is a web-based Bible Study, and there is a full time pastor in charge of putting it and keeping it
