Recovering Rest, Worship, and Delight in a Culture of Constancy The Bible’s first picture of rest appears before human sin, before the law of Moses, and before Israel existed as a nation. Genesis 2 describes God ceasing from his work on the seventh day, blessing that day, and setting it apart.1 The point is not … Continue reading Sabbath: God’s Rhythm for People Who Cannot Do Everything (Part 3)
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The Forgotten Shepherds of Small Places (Part 1)
Why small-town and rural pastors matter more than their visibility suggests! When conversations about church leadership focus on large congregations, growing cities, and highly visible ministries, it is easy to overlook the thousands of pastors serving in communities that rarely make headlines. Yet small-town and rural churches are not peripheral to God's mission. They are … Continue reading The Forgotten Shepherds of Small Places (Part 1)
Triage and Cooperation in the Local Church (Part II)
Felix Manz--Anabaptist Martyr Triage is a necessity in the medical world and is often a matter of life and death. In the world of theology it can also mean spiritual or physical life and death. In the last post on this topic, we considered the importance of fleshing out the brilliant statement by Rupert Meldinius … Continue reading Triage and Cooperation in the Local Church (Part II)
The Before, During, and After of Listening Well to a Sermon
If you listen to sermons for 40 years, you will have heard about 1600 Bible messages. I assume you will attend an average of 40 Sunday mornings a year and not 52, as few have perfect attendance. However, even if you attend 52 worship services yearly, you will have sat through 2,080 sermons in 40 … Continue reading The Before, During, and After of Listening Well to a Sermon
Valley Shepherds 