Category: Thoughts On Life
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Christians, Give Yourself Permission to Mourn This Easter
Easter Sunday is generally a day of light for Christian churches. We sing songs of joy, exclaim that “he is risen” and celebrate the risen Jesus that brings us all together. Often, Easter Sunday is one of the highest attended Sundays. Many churches find their pews/chairs full of congregants ––…
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I Don’t Know What I’m Doing | Pastoral Reflections on COVID-19
Just over three months ago I became head Pastor of a church, my first pastorate. The first few months went very well as I got to know the people in our congregation, became adjusted to crafting weekly sermons, and began to adjust to the rhythms of the congregation. Things were…
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Journaling Through Life: Writing Things Down and the Power of Words
“As you move through this new stage of your life, I encourage you to buy a journal and write things down.” These were some of the first words I heard when I entered my graduate school education ten years ago. It was in a Q&A session with current students and…
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Find Your Community: A Call to Ministers to Not Walk Alone
Ministry can be a lonely place. For those who carry the title ‘minister,’ this reality is not a surprise. When you spend your day-to-day work pouring much of what you have into other people, there is often little left over for your own existence. I have served as minister for…
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Engaging the “Other” Young Adults in Our Congregations
What if, in our journey to reach college-aged young adults, we’re missing the “other” young adults that are already in our midst– and who are ready to lead? Over the last 8 years, I have worked with college-aged young adults both in the church and on campus. Over that…
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The Pilgrimage from Graduate Sunday: 7 Ideas for Congregations to Stay Connected
Yesterday, in many churches across the nation, high school seniors donned their cap and gown and “crossed the stage” of our sanctuaries. The service framed by their achievement, the sermon charged their future, and the gifts celebrated that they’d made it to the end of one great journey, and to…
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At the Intersection of Death and Love | Reflections on Ash Wednesday
Today is an odd day. On the one hand, today is Ash Wednesday: a day we focus on the finality of death, the realization that our lives are short and headed toward an end. But, juxtaposed against that, is that today is also Valentine’s Day: a day we celebrate the…
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Campus Ministry During the Summer
“What DO you do when students are gone for summer break?” It’s a question that every Campus Minister is inevitably asked at some point or another. It’s true that a Campus Minister’s schedule changes as students pack up their dorm rooms, load up their cars, and drive off to other…
