Communication – Why is it so hard? One of the advantages of having my in-laws live with us is the laughter we get from mis-communication. Sometimes, this is due to having poor hearing. From this morning, before breakfast: (91 year-old father-in-law, looking out the window) “It’s windy!” (87 year-old mother-in-law,…
The Church Beside the Church
Last week, I was on a video call with a 31-year-old pastor of a rural church in eastern North Carolina. When I asked how the pandemic was affecting his church and ministry, he expressed his concern. “I am afraid that we are creating a church beside the church,” he said….
Lessons Learned About Teaching Lessons on Zoom
Because we can not be together during the pandemic, some of our Sunday morning Bible study teachers have been using Zoom as a teaching platform. This week, I participated in a conference call with ten other persons from my church. We are each attempting to teach Sunday morning Bible study…
Stations of the Cross
The Making of Pandemic Ponderings I created devotions based on the Stations of the Cross for Lent 2020 – the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s how that happened along with some personal reflections. In response to the pandemic and the legal prohibitions from large group gatherings, including church services, our…
Do YOU domesticate the Bible?
Walter Brueggeman is one of my favorite scholar-authors. His love of the Bible comes through in everything he writes. He is also prophetic. Brueggemann doesn’t let anyone get away with taking the Bible lightly (as just another work of ancient literature, for example) or too seriously (as an object of…
If these walls could talk
We are building a new house! We have a great builder. He told us that sometimes people like to write verses from the Bible on headers or posts before the sheetrock is installed. Well, the sheetrock is being installed this week, so Susan and I went early this week with…
The Slave Bible – not your typical boutique Bible
The Slave Bible is not your typical boutique Bible. We all have our own canons – those verses of the Bible that we know and live by. Most who were raised in a church can probably quote John 3:16 or complete the quote from I John, “God is _____.” We…
What’s In A Name?
You might be interested in knowing why I named this ministry “Great Bible Teachers.” Here is how that happened. Chad Hall is a good friend and a masterful coach. As I was struggling with this nudge of doing “something” to strengthen the teaching ministry of the Church, Chad invited…
A Minister’s Funeral
Recently, I attended the funeral of the Rev. Russ Ames. I first met Russ when I was asked to serve on his ordination council – almost exactly a year ago. He was in very bad health at the time, as he had been for several years. As a matter of…
Review – Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology
Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology by David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves and E. Randolph Richards. Downers Grove: IVP Academic. 2007. The typical lay person may not know it, but Paul has gotten a pretty bad rap lately. It is as if all of Western…
