Back when I was an undergrad at the University of Washington, University Presbyterian Church brought me into contact with some fantastic people. One of them was a fellow college student named Richard P Zimmerman — better known as Rich. I think he was feeling called to ministry even then — he was the only undergraduate […]
Setting Sail Into Writing Fiction (The Writer’s Inner Life)
I’ve not posted often in the past month. I spent the time writing the first draft of a novel. It was NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) — when several hundred thousand wannabe novelists around the world each set the goal of producing a 50,000 word first draft in the month of November. I’m happy to say […]
Reading for Reflection (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: Sorry to be out of touch for a few weeks. I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year — National Novel Writing Month. I’m now officially a novelist, with a rough draft of 55,000 words in hand. But I’m behind in my correspondence And thanks for the reminder that there are other, less […]
New Online Class for Advent — Lectio Divina
Advent starts Sunday! And so does my brand new online class on lectio divina. I suspect that, like me, you want this Advent to be a time of deepening your connection with God — instead of being swept into the hurly burly of shopping and office parties. As the prophet and the gospel remind us, we need to […]
Getting the Big Picture with Good Reference Works (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: One of the oddest moments I experienced in a seminary class was when a friend of mine raised his hand and asked a question. The prof turned to him like a switchblade opening and said Look it up. I’m not the answer man. No kidding. We quickly deduced that he didn’t like to […]