Although Susan Colantuono TED Talk is pitched particularly to women, it’s something men and women can profit from…and especially in the church. Colantuono talks about the “missing third” of leadership. She makes the case that, particularly when it comes to the advice given to women in middle management positions, we’re clear that it’s important to develop one’s own skills and talent, and we’re clear that it’s also important to develop our networks and relationships. But we don’t always value another essential dimension of leadership – that is, how to follow through on...

I woke up this morning in Phoenix and look forward to sharing the day with leaders of the Grand Canyon Synod. On may way from the airport last evening I had a rather remarkable experience. Actually, it was on the one hand rather ordinary, even mundane, but maybe that’s why it made it seem all the more extraordinary. I’ll confess that Sky Harbor – Phoenix’s airport – is not my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, filled with shops, restaurants, even a museum, and there’s nothing quite like emerging from whatever climate you’ve been in to the warmth of the Phoenix sun. But what I...

Dear Partner in Preaching, I have a hunch that paying attention to just a little bit of grammar might help you preach the readings appointed for Reformation Sunday (and, for that matter, Pentecost 20). The point of grammar in question is that we often speak of sin in the plural when we should focus on the singular. A small thing, I know, but before you dismiss this distinction, let me explain first what I mean and then why I think it matters. When we talk about sin, it’s almost always in the plural – sins – as in describing bad things we’ve done. But sin described across Scripture, and particularly in Paul, is not so much a thing as...