It’s something I have done since my first ministry. On Fridays I walk through the empty sanctuary, sit in each pew, and pray. I pray for the people who will sit there, whoever they may be. I pray that something happens to touch their hearts, strengthen their faith, or encourage them to live radically for …
I grew up southern. Even more significant, I grew up Virginian. The foothills of the Blue Ridge were my playground, the red clay of the Old Dominion was my sandbox, and the countless historical sites and landmarks were my classroom. I cut my teeth on the stories of the settlers of Jamestown. I can trace …
Ah, conventions. We church leaders love them. Leadership. Church Growth. Church Planting. Name the flavor and preachers, ministers, youth and worship leaders will flock to them. The best worship bands, well-known authors, preachers, and teachers will fill our minds with ideas and our hearts with zeal. And there in the seats we sit, with our …
The poor thing didn’t have a chance. Not with wind gusts of up to 60mph whipping around it. It was bound to fall over and sure enough it did. Potted plants just aren’t made for that kind of weather and neither was my wife’s Hibiscus. I went out the front door last week to find … Continue reading
I am not sure when it happened. Maybe it was during Bible College. Or perhaps during the turbulent first years of ministry. Or maybe it happened in the midst of trying to instill faith in my children. Whenever it was, it definitely happened. What? you ask. A shift in perception. A new way of describing … Continue reading
You may not know who Greg Allen is. You may not know that he is the worship leader for the largest Christian Church in North America. You may not know that every weekend he leads tens of thousands of Christians to the throne of God through music. You may not know that the staff around … Continue reading
Stories. We love them. From a young age we are indoctrinated by story. Bedtime stories, nursery rhymes and cardboard books dominate our childhood. As adults, we are just as addicted. Movies tell stories. Music communicates story in an emotive way. Even sports usually have a storyline running through them as we cheer for the underdog … Continue reading
When I entered the sanctuary about an hour before the session started I heard the chords of a familiar praise song reverberating off of the 9,000 empty seats. Immediately my mind matched lyrics with music and I began to internally sing, “He loves us, O how He loves us, O how He loves us.” I … Continue reading
Raising children is an adventure to say the least. Comedian Bill Cosby has made the assertion that unless you have more than one child you are not a true parent because one child does not fight with themselves! Lately I have felt more like a referee than a parent as our two youngest daughters have … Continue reading
I’ve been serving local churches in ministry for over a decade. All of them have been small churches struggling to find ways to grow. Some have been limited by a worship of the past, others were hampered by overbearing leaders and others still by poor location combined with limited facilities. In his book, Transforming Church … Continue reading
On October 3, two students at my alma-mater, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, got into an altercation resulting in one young man being shot and losing his life. My heart has been breaking, and this is my prayer… Lord, I want to scream. I want to shake my fists and yell. But my enemy has no face. … Continue reading
Jesus would often use the physical world to explain spiritual realities. Mustard seeds illustrate faith. Fruitless fig trees illustrate pointless living. A farmer sowing seed illustrates evangelism. The Gospels are chock full of Jesus’ stories and their effectiveness is undeniable. As a preacher, I am always looking for ways to emulate the Master Teacher. As … Continue reading
I make it a point to try to read what people who disagree with my worldview write on a regular basis. My hope is to discover what makes them ‘tick’ or what they view as supremely important. Knowing that I do this, my wife pointed out an article to me on CNN’s website: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/16/brook.moral.code.outdated/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn The … Continue reading
The Pondering Preacher 