Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
The title of this post may surprise you. You may assume that there is nothing within Buddhism that Christians can learn from. I disagree. There is one thing in particular that I think that Christians can learn from Buddhists. There is a teaching within Buddhism that speaks of the three treasures of Buddhism. These are … Read More “What Christians Can Learn From Buddhists” »
I have shared that I have been teaching at the Canadian Forces Chaplain School and Centre. There are at least two things that I enjoy about this. One is the act of teaching. The other is spending time with chaplains. While I am here as incremental staff, I also get to spend a lot of … Read More “Enjoying Time With Chaplains” »
Acts 2:42-47 Introduction Amanda and I have been part of a wide variety of churches, both in pastoral ministry and as laypeople. One of the things that we have been able to experience is different sizes of churches. The church where both Amanda and I were baptized and where we were married, probably today has … Read More “Anatomy of a Church: Community” »
The Christian Church has been involved in many things, from establishing hospitals to killing “infidels” and “heretics.” Obviously some of the things that the Church has done has been closer to the teachings of Jesus than others. I see three things as that which the Church must do. I don’t mean that in the sense … Read More “3 Things the Church Must Do” »
I hear from many pastors about how to become a disability-friendly church. Usually they are thinking in terms of the facilities or programs. Basically: What is the stuff that needs to be done? I appreciate this eagerness but there is actually some theological groundwork that needs to be done before a church can truly be … Read More “3 Theological Steps to Becoming a Disability-Friendly Church” »
This has been a difficult time for Christian ministry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that things are getting better and that more restrictions will be lifted. But there will be costs affect ministry that will last for a long time. I’m not talking about reductions to budgets because of drops in … Read More “One of the Ministry Costs of COVID-19” »
The past week I have visited the community that I grew up in. There are no high rises in this area of town. In fact the highest features are church steeples. Both times I was there, I looked around and could see church steeples rising above the other buildings, reminding the community of their presence. … Read More “What Are the New Steeples?” »
I love my church and spending time with the people in my congregation. They are great people and there is plenty of time I can spend with them. However, I also have a conviction that it is important to spend time with people outside the congregation. I see that as key to helping the church … Read More “How Can Pastors Get Involved In the Community?” »
I really enjoyed church this morning. It was a great time of worshiping and praying together. But beyond that, it was a great time to eat together. I’m not trying to be unspiritual. I love the Bible and I believe that the Bible has much to say to our lives (you can find my sermons … Read More “Good News: The Church That Eats Together” »
What?! Am I out of my mind? Pastors and other church leaders have been working hard for decades to get congregations to move from an inward to an outward focus. We have finally made some progress and now I’m saying that it is time to go back to the old ways? I’m not suggesting that … Read More “Churches Need More of an Inward Focus” »
I want to tell you a secret. People eat year round, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course that is obvious, but for some reason that is when churches like to donate to the food bank. “In the spring and summer someone else should support the food bank or the poor people should figure … Read More “Invest in Your Food Bank” »
Many years ago, Ed Sullivan was famous for introducing his television program by saying, “It’s a really big show tonight.” In his case, it was appropriate as he introduced such bands as the Beatles. My impression is that this would be appropriate for many churches as well. With declining church attendance, churches have to do … Read More “A Really Big Show” »
You know that I was raised Anglican because when I hear someone say “May the force be with you,” I want to respond with “And also with you.” Today is May the fourth, which leads some people to celebrate the great Star Wars movies. I am a Star Wars fan, though mainly episodes IV, V … Read More “May the Force Be With You!” »
This week I have been at our denominational Assembly. Our speaker this year has been Hugh Halter. I have enjoyed what he has had to say and I thought I would comment on what I found helpful. Halter suggests that what the church should be doing is communion, community and mission. Communion is what most … Read More “Hugh Halter on the Church” »
