Over the last year, I’ve had a revelation. It’s something I knew before, but I think I forgot: pastors are people. You see, prior to this past year, I attended rather large churches—eleven years at a megachurch and about another four at a not-as-big-but-still-pretty-big church. When I moved to Michigan seventeen years ago, freshly married,…
Spring brings warmer days, which usher in the beginning of the growing season. The pots I left abandoned outside my house begin to grow delicate little clovers and thick-stalked pokeweed. These weeds get a jumpstart and take advantage of leftover potting soil. Empty pots will fill up with something. Instead of allowing the weeds to…
As someone who heard the gospel every summer at vacation Bible school, I still sometimes struggle to share it. I not only lack courage but also the je ne sais quoi that preachers have when they give the altar call. I’ve realized, though, that it’s not how I share the gospel that matters. The power…
Have you ever listened to a sermon and thought, “Wait, what? That’s not what the Bible says”? Ever scroll through social media and pause to look up a quote someone has attributed to Psalms or Proverbs only to discover it’s not even in the Bible? If you’re nodding your head, I want you to know…
The sunlight filtered through the trees, creating a kaleidoscope of shadows on the trail. Our footsteps were hushed on the dirt path, and the only other sounds carried on the breeze were the songs of both bird and man. I didn’t understand the words of either, but I wanted to hear more of both. As…
Finding a new church sometimes feels like throwing a heavy sack of stones over my shoulder and then hauling it around. Maybe that seems a bit dramatic, but because of life with the military, I have had to find a new church more times than I care to think about. We just moved for the…