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Recently there have been many posts around the internet talking about beer and faith. They’ve talked about how churches are using the tavern to bring the gospel to people far from God. It’s been interesting to see the push back from folks in the church world over some of these things. I was first introduced to the idea by a good friend Bryan Berghoef. Bryan is a pastor in Washington DC, but at the time he was in Traverse City, MI and was doing something called Pub Theology. It was a group of people gathering in a pub and discussing the things that mattered most.Read More →

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When I logged in to Facebook today there was one topic on everyone’s mind: the impending shut down of the government. The responses ranged from cynicism, to concern, to fear. Then I read this: Post by Todd Waller. I think Todd’s on to something. The overwhelming negative responses to the government shut down come from our natural desire for security and safety. We rely on our federal government to provide these things for us. In our postmodern context the government is perceived to be solid ground. Not that we think they are always doing a good job or that we agree with the politics. But,Read More →

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For forty days Jesus was tempted in the desert. We typically don’t think about the reality that he was tempted for forty days. We usually just read the narrative and consider the three specific temptations that are listed there: And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him,“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up andRead More →

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Have you experienced “the moment”? We do so more often than we realize. Unfortunately, our lives move fast and are full of noise. We cannot slow down for the moment. The moment passes and we keep on moving. How can we possibly stop everything for a moment? We need to. These moments are in-breakings of God in our lives. It might be the homeless man on the side-walk or it might be an idea that hits us as we are driving to work. These moments are out of the ordinary. They are kairos moments. Mary had one. It was spectacular. An angel visited her andRead More →

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When you’re looking to launch a movement that is focused on something more than its own growth but looking to send laborers who will multiply their lives for the kingdom you become enthralled by Paul of Tarsus and Jesus. These two guys were all about multiplication. One of the things I am more and more thankful of are Paul’s letters. I like them because they give us glimpses into Paul’s thoughts and heart. For a very long time I have loved the letter to the Philippians. I think I’m drawn to it because of its tone of love and kindness. Paul isn’t dealing with anyRead More →

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My son is a pitcher for his baseball team. He has a decent fastball, but it’s the curve that makes him most effective. The reason is simple, it keeps hitters off balance. A hitter that doesn’t know what’s coming will have a hard time hitting the pitch. And when that happens, it’s pretty funny to watch. When it happens in real life, it’s not always very fun. The question becomes, how do we respond? What do we do when we find ourselves facing a curve? As we launch this movement I am finding that the curves come fast and furious. We expect one thing andRead More →

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One of the hardest things to do is rest. We live in a world where many work seven days a week and wish there were eight. Our down times are filled with events and things to do. We go place and run all over town. It is very rare that we just stop and rest. I am not a very good “rester”. I struggle to stop. I have a hard time just turning everything off and entering a state of restfulness. This past Monday I chose to rest. I made a conscious decision to not work. I would not write emails, blog, call people, raiseRead More →

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It is no secret that I love baseball. It is my son’s chosen sport. He loves to play and I have grown to love it as well. As with most anything I do, I haven’t gone half way on my engagement with baseball. I love the history and I enjoy learning how to help my boy become better and better. Over the years I have seen a large number of baseball games from youth levels up to the professional. I have come to appreciate defense and pitching much more than the offensive aspect of the game. Baseball Tonight’s “Web Gems” is one of my favoriteRead More →

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Over the last few years I have come to really enjoy smart, well written, dramatic television. I love the fact that the story is not capped in 120 minutes. It is able to be developed, often very intricately. Right now we are enjoying shows like Once Upon A Time, PanAM, The Firm, and Touch. Touch is a fascinating storyline. This show is attempting to work out the theological idea of providence. Providence can be defined as, “divine guidance or care, God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny”. But, what if there was no God? Touch seems to start there. The “universe” isRead More →