We Protestants tend to be pretty focused on the Cross. We hear Paul saying that he wanted to know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ, and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). We transmogrify it to mean we should preach nothing but the Cross, even on Christmas (when the Cross was thirty years in the future) […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: Is Your Inner Sense of Call Enough?
Dear ______: I’m very glad to hear that your friend said she could totally see you as a pastor. That is something very important in discerning whether you are called to ordained ministry. In my tradition we call that the “external call.” When other people affirm that ministry is a good choice it is the second half of what you need. […]
How to Renew Your Church: A Page from John Calvin’s Playbook
I took another trip in the time machine recently. I went back to Calvin’s Geneva again. Okay. Not really. It was a Skype call with a friend from seminary: the Rev. Jerry McKinney. I interviewed him for a class I teach on forms of Christian community. But I’m telling you, the story of Jerry’s pastoral ministry is […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: On Gifts and Passions
Dear ______: Yes, as you say, it does sound like I’m saying seminary is for everybody. Not every seminary is for everybody, of course. But a solid education in the Bible, in the Church’s history and its teachings, and in how to approach the tasks of ministry that take disciples into God’s mission is a […]
What’s the Big Deal About Pontius Pilate? (Heidelberg Catechism Q38)
When you set out to comment on a centuries-old document, sometimes your topic is at the heart of your passions. Sometimes, not so much. You just have to deal with each bit, even if it is outside the range of your interests. Or your confidence. Or whatever. I know this: I’ve been blogging my way through […]
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