Sunday’s lectionary Gospel (John 17:20-26) is a chunk of Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” after dinner on Maundy Thursday. It is a remarkable passage when taken as a whole — one of my favorites really. And the lectionary does give us the whole thing. You just have to be patient. Every year, on the 7th Sunday […]
New Online Prayer Class: “Pray Like a Reformer”
I’m really psyched to announce that I’m offering a new online prayer class through this website. I’m calling it “Pray Like a Reformer,” and registration is open through Friday October 12, 2018. Pray Like a Reformer Martin Luther and John Calvin were both passionate about prayer. They both thought it was basic to the authentic […]
Helping Christian Community Thrive: What Do You Teach?
A new community blossomed after that first Christian Pentecost. Not only did 3,000 get baptized into the Body of Christ after Peter’s first sermon. They found an effective way to live the faith together — a way so appealing to outsiders that day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being […]
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 […]