Jan and I enjoy spending time together, reflecting on life and ministry. In recent years we have been invited to return and preach in five congregations in which we ministered full-time. (We have worked full-time in only six churches, and one no longer exists because it merged with another church.) The opportunity to “go home” …
Monthly Archives: May 2023
Sunday: Remembering with Hope
It’s Memorial Day weekend.In thinking about church and preaching, I always try to do something significant about remembering, sacrifice, and love.For many in today’s culture, Memorial Day has lost its meaning. It is too little about remembering and memorials. It is too much about the first long weekend of summer and going to the lake …
Sunday: Looking to Jesus
One advantage of Easter–the focus is almost always on the story of Jesus. By now many pulpits have returned to moralizing: we must/should/ought to…. This is “what to do” without the “why to do it.” The gospel is the story of Jesus. It is powerful—for salvation and for life. Tell the story of Jesus. Help …
Update: Future Plans
Recently the blog template I have used for 15 years became unusable due to automatic updates. I was able to transfer over 1000 blogs to this new format. As I worked through the problem, I evaluated the best options with regard to future blogging. First, I plan to blog more consistently. Second, I plan to …
Sunday: Honoring Mothers
Through my years in ministry, I often mentioned my mother in sermons and church bulletins. My sermons on Mother’s Day were peppered with personal memories. More recently, I have written about my mother in blogs, website posts, and Facebook posts. Through the years, some have commented that they would like to have known my mother. …