Tag: Mission

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

Living the Mission

What is on your mind?

That is one of those questions we seem to ask a lot. I know it is one that I ask Abbi, in some form, several times a day. It is a question of curiosity about someone else. With this question, we are asking someone what they are thinking about in that moment.

You may not think about this immediately, but I think there may also be a theological aspect to this question. I think it gets to a deeper meaning that brings to mind what is driving our interests. Sometimes, I think this question can be asked in such a way that it allows us to talk about what we are focused on. By this, we are asking someone about what captivates, motivates, or has their attention.

It is important that we pay attention to what our focus is. I say that because often our focus, or what holds our attention, is what we share with others. Think about this in the simplest of terms: if we are having a bad day, try as hard as we might, we might not give our best to someone else. That is because the fact we are having a bad day, or whatever else might be grabbing our attention, is often what affects our relationships with others. Continue reading “Living the Mission”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Public Theology, Sermon

Living in Authentic Communities

Read Christian websites, scan the title of books at a bookstore, or hear how leaders in the church talk and you will notice a common theme. That theme is that Christianity in Western civilization, especially in the United States, is facing a crisis. It revolves around a generational gap that challenges the health and vitality of churches across all denominations.

This generational gap can be seen in weekly church attendance, membership rolls, and the influence the church has in the lives of young adults. The church struggles to reach people under the age of 40. These are people who identify themselves as being members of Generation X, like myself, or the Millennial Generation. Our reach among these groups of people is considerably less when compared with other generations.

I’ve often wondered why this is, not just as someone who is a young pastor but as a Christian who is a young adult. Why do we struggle to reach people from my generation and younger? I am not thinking about Christians who simply go to other churches. I am specifically thinking about people who do not have a relationship with Jesus or the church. Why do we struggle to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with young adults? Continue reading “Living in Authentic Communities”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

We Are Easter People: A Living Hope

Now what?

That question seems to always be asked after a major moment, whether it is a big celebration or a highly-anticipated time of life. We sort of look around and ask what is next on our plates or the next thing we need to do.

Of course, the question can elicit a whole slew of responses based upon the context of the question. It could be cleaning up after a party. It could be trying to figure out what to do with our lives after graduation. It might mean trying to save for college after having children. The potential answers are endless.

It is a question many of us may be asking today. Now what? We have celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning and now we find ourselves one week later wondering what is next. Continue reading “We Are Easter People: A Living Hope”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

Peter’s Denial and What it Means for Us

For the longest time, I was a huge professional wrestling fan. Every Saturday morning, and eventually Monday nights, I would turn on the television and watch the action regardless if it was from the WWF or WCW.

I was into it, too. I had my favorite wrestlers, such as Hulk Hogan and the Road Warriors, and I could quote their favorite lines as well as I could say my own name. Even more, I could hum the theme songs for my favorite wrestlers. It is also possible I might have been known to use certain songs for workout music from time to time.

I’m not completely sure if watching professional wrestling is what led me to wrestle in school. I do remember, however, that one of our coaches had to remind us that we could not use things like steel chairs, illegal moves, or have our own theme song in matches.

The fact I watched a lot of professional wrestling is not something that I like to point out to many people. You have to really know me before I let you know that little piece of myself. Let’s be honest, no one really wants to admit to being a professional wrestling fan. Continue reading “Peter’s Denial and What it Means for Us”

Christian Leadership, Christianity, Culture, Devotion, Encouragement, Faith, Life, Sermon

The Sacrament of Identification

Throughout my life, there have been many words used to describe me. Some of these words are funny. Some of the words are personal. Some are words that attempt to identify me through my work or passions.

I’ve been described as a son, a husband, a father, a public theologian, a writer, a pastor, a preacher, an editor, an advocate, as gregarious, a nerd, a poor golfer, a sports fan, and very competitive, especially when it comes to board games.

These are all adjectives that are part of who I am. Each of us here have adjectives that describes aspects about us. Words that shine a light on who we are, where we’ve been, or where we believe our lives are going.

We are fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, workers and retirees, veterans, leaders, and so much more. I am sure we could go on. Each of these adjectives are special and define so much about our lives and what we hold to be important. Continue reading “The Sacrament of Identification”