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11/17/2009
147. The Wall
This month, the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On Nov 9, 1989, the gates were opened and crowds of people from East and West Germany intermingled freely for the first time in decades. They began to pick apart the wall, stone by stone, to the utter astonish
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11/12/2009
146. Haiku
Some months ago I was present for a worship service during which the pastor opened with a lengthy list of announcements. The time given this task seemed disproportionately generous and distracting from the tone of the service. Later, as the pastor spoke to the children, he seemed to get lost in his
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11/4/2009
145. I Didn’t Recognize It at the Time
As a birder, I keep “a life list,” a chronological listing of all the species I’ve seen and identified since I first began birding with intentionality. Since starting the list in 2004, I have seen 457 different species of North American birds.
The first 100 birds I added to the li
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10/19/2009
144. Work Without Boundaries
I noticed a beautifully designed sign at the entrance to a store in the mall that said, “Work Without Boundaries!” The shop sold electronics—smart phones, personal planners, pagers, wireless devices, and an array of gadgets, communications tools, and new inventions that help custom
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10/13/2009
143. Pruning
Recently while teaching in a congregation, I recounted many of the scriptures about fruitfulness. Vines, branches, seedtime, harvest, soils, vineyards, trees, fruits—the Bible is replete with stories that lift high the notion that God expects us to use what we have received to make a positive
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10/6/2009
142. Recharge
I’ve learned to identify the power-hungry among us. I don’t mean the ambitious political self-seekers or self-serving control freaks. I’m talking about those people who meander through coffee shops, restaurants, hotel lobbies, and airport waiting areas looking under tables and behi
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9/29/2009
141. The Combination
When I arrived at the church to which I had been newly appointed, I found a stack of papers, notes and suggestions left for me by the previous pastor. He included the numbers to the combination for the old-fashioned heavy steel safe that protected the church records, checks, and petty cash. I carefu
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9/22/2009
140. From “They Ought” to “We Can”
Sometimes challenges seem so insurmountable and intransigent that there seems no way to make a positive contribution. How can one person, or a Bible class, or a congregation make any difference at all in the face of issues as huge as world hunger, poverty, child abuse, racism, or unemployment? Or mo
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9/15/2009
139. Called Accidentally
I’ve come to love all the bells and whistles on my iPhone. I download tons of weekly podcasts which I listen to as I drive and walk. I receive up-to-date news and weather reports. And I have an entire field guide of birds downloaded onto my phone that comes complete with photos, descriptions,
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9/3/2009
138. What’s in a Word?
Since high school I’ve had an active curiosity about words, idioms, writing, and language, and how our perception of reality is limited or enlarged by the words available to us.
Recently I heard a linguistic philosopher speak on these topics, offering several interesting stories. For instance
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8/12/2009
137. Come and See
While sitting in an airport lounge that had become crowded because of all the flight delays caused by a sudden storm, I couldn’t help but overhear bits and pieces of conversations around me. Two business women in their twenties were sitting in the seats next to me with their laptops, file fold
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7/27/2009
136. Impulses to Wordless Prayer
I’m usually more of a night owl than an early riser. This summer, however, I’ve found myself awakening early on many mornings. I step onto the back deck to fill the birdfeeders while soft streams of light emerge against the shadows. I enjoy the fresh smells, the glancing sheen of nascent
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7/20/2009
135. Cinco Prácticas—The Spanish Edition
I’m delighted to announce the release this week by Abingdon Press of the new Spanish edition of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, entitled Cinco Prácticas de Congregaciones Fructíferas.
The road toward the Spanish translation began two years ago with requests from pastor
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7/13/2009
134. Milestone
Some time this month, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations will pass a remarkable and unexpected milestone as someone purchases the 100,000th copy. Several thousand congregations have used the book as the basis for sermon series, leadership discussions, small group readings, or strategic plannin
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7/6/2009
133. Logjams
I regularly run along a bike trail that has a number of small bridges stretched across creeks and small streams. These former railway structures were built with thick steel girders that rise high above the creek beds. I often pause in the middle of a bridge to look down for fish, snakes, or turtles,
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