As a kid, I was bookish. I loved sports. I took piano lessons. I participated in 4H. I liked to hang out with my friends. But I also loved to read. Sometimes I got so absorbed in what I was
May We See the Unseen
A blessed Christmastide to you and Happy New Year. This time of year always brings on a taking stock frame of mind. Recently mine has revolved around pondering the dual aspect of reality – seen and unseen. How does
The Transformation of Congregational Culture
In Hosea 2, we find a beautiful promise of restoration immediately after God’s judgment against Israel’s infamous infidelity. The language in the promise is that of the New Creation. “On that day” God will reclaim the adulteress Israel. The Lord
Guest Blog: The Purpose of Youth Ministry
(The following essay comes from the Rev. Wendy Mohler Seib, a PhD candidate in practical theology and Director of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults at the Institute for Discipleship at Southwestern College. The American church needs to re-think
The Church Needs a Gestalt Shift
“Gestalt” – a word some of us academic types use on occasion. Gestalt has to do with perception, of seeing the whole, all at once, rather than parts. Many more have surely seen the image of the woman/women that illustrates