Yesterday was Giving Tuesday. Lots and lots of us made gifts to various charitable organization – relief agencies, social ministries, colleges, seminaries, animal shelters, our congregations, and more. But did you ever wonder what inspires generosity? Or – and we probably talk about this less – have you ever wondered what inspires the people who ask you to be generous? That’s an interesting question, because if you’ve never done that – asked someone to give of their time, energy, or money – you might not realize how challenging that can be. It can also be wonderful, and we’ll get to that, but it’s also challenging. Why?...

Today, as you’ve no doubt heard, is “Giving Tuesday,” the day recently invented and named to compete with “Black Friday,” and “Cyber Monday” and that seeks to invite us to turn for a few moments from seeking bargains to make a difference through our charitable giving. Which means that by the time you read this post you’ve likely already received several worthy requests today. (And, if you’re on the LTSP mailing list, you’ve received on from me today on behalf of our students! And if you feel left out, you can read about that here. 🙂 ) But as this is Giving Tuesday, I’d like also to give you something. A chance to...

Dear Partner in Preaching, There’s waiting…and then there’s waiting. Do you know what I mean? Some waiting is, well, just waiting, the pointless exercise we all have to endure from time to time. Like sitting in the doctor’s office, just waiting for your name to be called so you can get your flu shot. But other waiting seems to matter. Like waiting in the doctor’s office for the results of the biopsy to come back or waiting to see the ultrasound of your coming baby. I suspect you know what I mean. Some waiting feels empty and pointless, while other waiting is weighty, significant, and really matters. Too often, I think, the kind of...

Dear Partner in Preaching, There are times when I wish Mark would just make up his mind! Okay, so maybe I should back up a bit and explain. The brief apocalyptic sections of Mark, and later of Matthew and Luke who clearly follow him, have always been something of a puzzle to me because they are so out of character with the rest of the Gospel. I assume that these traditions were so prevalent in the early church that Mark simply couldn’t ignore them. Note, however, that I use the plural – apocalyptic traditions – because it seems there were at least two. Some, perhaps including the Apostle Paul, expected Jesus’ return very soon. We...