As we enter in the holy presence of God this week, we gather ourselves around the pink candle which marks what was traditionally known as “Gaudete Sunday,” literally, “Rejoice” Sunday. The rose-colored candle that stands in the cocoon of the Advent wreath is a symbol to remind us of the…
The Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1:46-55, is a Gospel passage that we often overlook during this season when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. Although reminiscent of the ancient Israelite Psalms in its form and themes, this song of Mary does not get the attention…
In the last few decades, several global realities have been reminders of the possibility of end times. The threat of nuclear war, COVID-19, global warming, and the effects of the rising seas are threatening life on earth. The world’s leading climate scientists who met last month in Glasgow delivered a…
About twenty years ago, a supervisor shared with me the idea of “work hard, play hard.” Those words hang emblazoned in gold on my wall as a reminder to both myself and my teammates that those words matter. Sure, hard work is important and so too is play. Pastors leading…
Some years ago, I was working for Marriott and assisting with setup prior to opening a new hotel in Abingdon. A small crew of men from Honduras were tasked with facing the front of the building with rock. They brought with them a massive load of thin, flat rocks which…
For the past fifteen years, I have been involved in bi-vocational ministry. I work full-time as a ministry professor at Milligan University. I also work as a “part-time” minister at Crossroads Christian Church in Gray, TN. For the past five years, I have been the lead minister at the church.
Over the past year and half, sermon-planning has taken a backseat to wrestling with weekly changes, complaints about Covid responses, and a general loss of motivation. Many of us feel the need to get back into the groove of creating fabulous messages that contribute to the culture God is shaping…
“It’s Frederick Buechner’s fault,” I tell myself on Sunday morning. I’m getting ready to return to my home church to speak. I’m trying to figure out who is to blame for this strange emotional position I find myself in: I’m going to be in the same room where I’ve delivered my…
One month into the COVID pandemic, I experienced leadership paralysis. It was not just that the operations of our ministry had to be relocated to digital forms – as a college ministry who works with digital natives, we were well positioned and nimble enough in our…
A Review of We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry Mark Elsdon Paperback: Eerdmans, 2021 Reviewed by C. Christopher Smith Here at Englewood Christian Church on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis, one of our favorite stories from the Gospels is the so-called “feeding of the…
