Over the next few weeks, folks who attend churches following the Revised Common Lectionary (a pattern of readings following the church year) will be treated to a number of parables in Luke’s Gospel that have to do with money. Luke, more than any of the other Evangelists, seems quite interested in helping Christians think through the relationship between their faith and their finances. And so he shares a number of the stories Jesus tells about people and how they handle their money. Of these parables, one of the most confusing is the one about the “Dishonest Manager” which is the reading appointed for this Sunday. It revolves around the...

After a three month sabbatical from this blog, I’m eager to be back. The time away was very helpful with navigating a move and the need to make some sustained progress on a few larger writing projects, but I was surprised at how much I missed the regular discipline of bible study and reflecting on faith and life that this blog has provided me. So tomorrow I’ll start posting daily bible devotions in the morning and share thoughts and resources on connecting faith and life later each day. As I’ve been thinking about jumping back into this daily routine, I’ve realized there are a few things I’d like to focus on a bit more in the...

I’ve have spent much of the last several years researching congregational vitality, partnering with congregations and their leaders all over the country to ask what makes healthy congregations tick. The results have been fascinating…and encouraging. Part of what I’ve discovered is that every congregation has the capacity to flourish when provided the right support, guidance, and leadership. This work has shaped my teaching tremendously, turning upside down some of the things I thought I knew and stretching me in all kinds of ways I would not have imagined even five years ago. It’s also strongly influenced my writing, both on and...

The conclusion of the third season of HBO’s adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s sprawling fantasy A Game of Thrones is tonight. Of course, those of you who know and love the story already know that, while those of you who don’t probably don’t care. 🙂 Recently, there’s been a minor furor over whether Christians should watch such a violent and racy show. In response, I wrote an article on the Huffington Post suggesting that the way one responds to that question says as much about one’s theology as it does the show. I’ll put the opening paragraphs below and direct you to the article should you want...

First and foremost, thanks to all those who have been sending notes and posting comments about our upcoming move. You’ve all be incredibly gracious and supportive, and it’s been cool to connect in this way with folks I’ve known since college and others that I don’t know at all except for our shared time on the internet. 🙂 I appreciate it greatly. Second, I’ve decided to take a sabbatical from the blog. That’s not been an easy decision, as I’m just plain embarrassed by how much I’ve come to love this way of interacting with you all and thinking about the faith. The daily devotions – which started as a Lenten discipline...

Over the course of the last few months, I’ve had the occasional email or comment asking, essentially, “What’s going on?” This question has usually been in response to a comment I made about taking some risks or contemplating an adventure or something else of that nature. After lots of thought, prayer, and conversation regarding a variety of opportunities that have presented themselves over the last year, my family and I have indeed decided to embark upon something of an adventure. “Something” in that it’s not that dramatic or perhaps even adventuresome :), but definitely represents a change for us: we’re moving to...

It’s said that once, upon being asked to address a boys preparatory school on the nature of leadership, Winston Churchill offered a brief but valuable speech. “Boys, never give up. Never. Never. Never.” I thought of that when I watched this video illustrating part of an interview with Ira Glass, host of Public Radio International’s This American Life. I’ve been a huge fan of Ira’s for years. His quirky, humorous, generous, and tremendously insightful take on not just issues but life itself has been the heart and soul of This American Life, perhaps my favorite podcast for long drives. In this part of the interview, Glass makes an...