We just finished a pastor/congregation evaluation process at my church. Actually, our consultant says that this is just the beginning! We have exciting work ahead as we explore the summary documents! We should read through them prayerfully every night and consider what God is saying to us through the words of our co-congregants! What an… Read More
Wits’ Ends Day: Guidelines for Choosing Curriculum
For no particular reason, I have decided to offer some suggestions for choosing children’s curriculum. Whether it’s Sunday School or, say, Vacation Bible School, the lessons we share with the young people of the church are important. It’s true that no curriculum, not even what I wrote for Shine (#ShamelessSelfPromotion), will perfectly impart the fullness of… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Trinity Sunday
Wisdom raises her voice. At intersections and entrances, she proclaims to the people: “Before the earth, I was. Before the springs and mountains, I was. Before the skies and seas, I was. I have always been the Inspiration and the Delight.” (Proverbs 8:1-4 & 22-31, Revised Rachel Version) In the Revised Common Lectionary readings for… Read More
Sunday Prayer: Pentecost
Holy Spirit, Wild Wind, on this day of Pentecost we are gathered. We are alternately full of fire and fizzling, courageous and tentative, gifted by dreams and haunted by worries. In other words, this holy day finds us to be still wholly human. Will you fill us up? Will you awe our hearts so that… Read More
Wits-Ends-Day: Early Warning Signs
Many seminaries and denominations require some level of psychological testing and evaluation for people who want to become pastors. I’m on board with the concept—the last thing we want is a bunch of narcissists in charge of churches. But I do question the effectiveness of some of these evaluations. The two things I remember from… Read More
Saturday Prayer: Hosanna! Save Us
Hosanna! Save us, O God! From hasty palm waving and distracted worship; from the Holy Week panic about to set in; from the onslaught of emails and plastic eggs; from the special music to arrange and the brunch casseroles to bake; from the late nights, the restless sleeps, the too-early mornings. Save us, O God,… Read More
Bullet Journals for Pastors
Bullet journals are really trending right now. Actually, the fact that I just started one probably means they were really trending two years ago. I’m a little slow on the trends. But I have one now! If you, like me, want to start a bullet journal, then you, like me, will type “how to start… Read More
Preacher Party: Wilderness of Judea Edition
Welcome to the second Sunday in the season of Advent! Today’s Gospel lesson brings us the story of John the Baptist, baptizing believers as they confessed their sins, shouting accusations at the Pharisees and Sadducees, and prophesying the coming of the Messiah. With whom do you relate most closely this week – John, Jesus, Pharisees… Read More
Wits-Ends-Day: Pastoral Job Descriptions
I am currently experiencing a settled stage of my life—which I find slightly unnerving but mostly good. I do, however, have several friends discerning a call. (In case you don’t speak church-ese, that means they are looking for a new pastor gig.) So I’ve been hearing about interviews and looking at pastoral job descriptions. I… Read More
The Pastoral is Political – The _Pastor_ Is Political
In the US, we just had “mid term elections,” where we don’t have an election for president but we do elect the entire lower house of our legislature (House of Representatives) and roughly one third of our upper house (Senate), as well as many state, county/parish, township, city, and other positions. So when I say… Read More
