As some great philosopher once said, “You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose – but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.” I suppose that depends on the friend… But the truth remains, we do get to choose our companions in life. Something I often find myself saying to folks who are…

I’m writing my Last Word this week from a little lake cottage in Ohio that Tammy and I found on Airbnb. A Brethren seminary professor and her husband use the cottage for vacations and rent it out to travelers like us the rest of the time. It’s beautiful and actually cheaper than a budget motel.…

Last night, at the First Christian vs. First Christian softball extravaganza, our team t-shirts caught my attention. They say, “First Christian Followers.” In almost any other setting, being a follower is not considered a good thing. We hope our children grow up to be leaders, not followers. We like to think of ourselves as being…

In a few days, Pastor Brian and I will be headed to Indianapolis for the biennial General Assembly of the Christian Church. The General Assembly is always fun and engaging. The worship is amazing, with four to five thousand gathering for worship every night (the music and preaching alone are worth the price of admission).…

A few years ago, I heard about a woman who created a business for herself “de-clutterizing” the homes of clients whose clutter quotient had gotten out of control. I could relate. Have YOU ever felt like there was so much stuff stuffed in your house that they might just find you buried in it all…

This week our church is participating in United Vacation Bible School. It’s a great time for fun, learning, and growing together in faith and love. One of my favorite UVBS stories is about a little boy who joined his new class halfway through the week. The teacher noticed right away that he was missing one…

It’s interesting to me how things like wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes are often called “Acts of God.” I think it would be more accurate to describe things like that as “acts of nature.” Why I have a problem attributing these natural occurrences to God is that, while they may be powerful, they are powerful in…

In the past few decades, psychologists have identified a condition called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that often afflicts survivors of violent crimes, natural disasters or war. Even severe illnesses or other major life events can lead to the kinds of symptoms associated with PTSD. Now researchers are talking about something else they’ve discovered called “post…

In Phillip Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” he tells a story about a conference that was held sometime after World War 2 on comparative religions. Experts from around the world debated what belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. For instance, what about incarnation – the idea of God…

For a long time, the church has operated under the assumption that, “if you build it they will come,” just like the quote from the great Iowa movie, “Field of Dreams.” But that isn’t how Jesus and the disciples did ministry. They went out into the world. They found lost and hurting people and shared…