At Sunset (my church home) we have two separate morning services on Sunday that are not just at different times but also have distinct stylistic differences. Most people would just call one a “blended” service of traditional and somewhat contemporary items, while is the later time is a “contemporary” service. I use these labels more…
Fortuitous Bouncing
I heard many with the opinion that what was previously happening in Egypt wasn’t newsworthy. I understand what was trying to be said, but I think what happened there has laid the groundwork for what we see happening in Libya and plenty of other countries. The Middle East will never be the same. Check out…
Ministry Isn’t For Pastors
One of my struggles of working at a church and also attending seminary is that many I interact with seem to think of church ministry as the height of faithfulness and ministry to God. Think of the phrase, “I’m going into the ministry,” and it’s common use in our culture today. Yet it comes across…
Blogs Are Dying But They Shouldn't
One of the most read articles on the New York Times website over the past weekend was a short article on how websites such as Twitter and Facebook are causing a decline in blog hits, especially among young generations. I’ve heard it over and over since I started blogging, and I guess it is partially…
Fortuitous Bouncing
This weekend I’m outside of Portland for our yearly Middle School Winter Camp. We’re in a spot with no cell-phone coverage but we do have one spot with wireless internet. We’ve got a full camp this year, with over 100 people (students, leaders, worship team) here. It should be a great weekend! Because of it…
Let It Linger
It is amazing to me how much stress we put on ourselves over the immediacy of information. Between social networks, newspapers, blogs, television, and many other sources, we constantly consume information. What was breaking news 6 hours ago is now old news. Use my blog as an example. I have now posted this on Thursday,…