“blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. blessed are the merciful, for they will be […]
Read Morewhat a lot of my missional-in-the-trenches-friends have in common
i’ve been walking a lot lately. before my surgery it was the one thing that helped best with my pain and after surgery it is part of my daily re-hab & makes me the happiest. at first i had to have friends go with me but now i can walk by myself (if someone can […]
Read Moregender equality is so pretty
* this is a post i wrote a while back for christine sine’s summer blog series about the kingdom now & how people are seeing it up-close-and-personal. i thought i’d share it here, too. it’s short & sweet & when i re-read it today it reminded me of how thankful i am for my brothers […]
Read Morethe gravitational pull toward margin
a few months ago a dear friend called me and asked me if i knew of any bible study material for poor single moms who needed an infusion of hope (she works for a ministry that provides practical help for them). i racked my brain for any material that was designed specifically for that demographic […]
Read More"strap in, we're going down"
i got back last night from DC and the first tranFORM network gathering. it was a great weekend in all kinds of ways, but of course by far the very best part were the people. such kind, humble, passionate, nutty, real courageous men & women who love Jesus & people & have hope for the […]
Read Morethe church of the 99 or the 1?
when i knew that i was going to be speaking/teaching/facilitating/whatever you want to call it in africa (yeah, i am not too into the word “preach”) i spent some time reflecting on what to share, which passage, which direction to go. i was nervous because as you all know, i’m a little on the not-so-conservative […]
Read Morethe difference between "cultivating communities" and "building churches"
“christian communities continue the work of Jesus. they are sent to be a presence to people who are living in darkness and despair. the people who come into these communities also respond to the call and the cry of the weak and the oppressed. they enter into the covenant with Jesus and the poor. they […]
Read Morerethinking the word "pastor"
i have had this post swirling around in my head for over a year now and am finally taking the time to put these thoughts about the word “pastor” in black-and-white. 6 years ago on january 1st i went on a church staff as a “pastor.” looking back, the whole thing is so weird because […]
Read Moreleadership lessons when you want to run for the hills
hey, did i scare everyone off with that last post? i hope not! one of the things you non-bloggers need to know is there’s nothing worse than putting something a little risky out there and not getting very many comments! and one of the things all you bloggers know is that part of this journey […]
Read Morei'm pretty sure this leadership book won't make it on the bestseller list
note: this is part of the monthly synchroblog. in honor of today’s election the topic was leadership. you can check out all the links below. * * * * * i don’t go to christian bookstores very often. every time i end up there i always have to call a friend or two to share […]
Read More