temparbor

Prayer of Tecumseh. And me.

[featured-image link=”null” link_single=”inherit” single_newwindow=”false” alt=”prayer of tecumseh”] This prayer published below is one of the most strikingly beautiful, and true, things I have ever read. It completely sums up the goal of my life. I do not claim to have arrived, but from what I’ve heard, Tecumseh arrived, and we know that others have arrived.Continue reading “Prayer of Tecumseh. And me.”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 11

Sunday, 10:46 a.m. I found in my prayer time that I could not contain the fear over what will happen when I return home. Certainly I will go to the ones I love most, but I will also return to schedules, demands, home repairs, auto repairs, financial issues, clients and congregants with problems, computer temptationsContinue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 11”

The 15 best things about being a grown-up

Recently a friend of mine posted on Facebook about missing that feeling we had when we were kids of flying every time we would run or jump. I hadn’t thought about that for a long time, and I realized I miss that too. But then it quickly occurred to me that I would never tradeContinue reading “The 15 best things about being a grown-up”

Is Jesus the only way to God?

Is Jesus the only way to God? Yes. Absolutely. But what does it mean to say this? There are two ways of thinking about this question and they both hinge on one’s interpretation of John 14:6 where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father butContinue reading “Is Jesus the only way to God?”

Post-Traumatic Stress

Some who read my last post might be tempted to think, “Dude, what’s up with the raw emotion there? You obviously had some crappy experiences.” And anyone who thinks that would be right. All of us are going through life reacting to early experiences; in school, with our parents, with friends, (Freud would say withContinue reading “Post-Traumatic Stress”

Shalom

The Hebrew word translated “peace” is “shalom.” But “shalom” does not mean “peace” in the way Americans think of peace. We tend to think of peace as simply the absence of conflict. When America is not at war, we say we are at peace. This is not what God means when he says “Peace.” WhenContinue reading “Shalom”

Denial (truth, prt. 2)

In my previous post I mentioned that the mission of the church I pastor is to help people find, face, and follow truth. Pastors and counselors are people who deal in truth. Of course one of the main causes of so many of the problems people are dealing with is falsehood — failure to findContinue reading “Denial (truth, prt. 2)”

Dismissing Religion?

Below is a reprint from a post I just did on a Facebook group with some friends of mine. _______________________ I want to base my life on what I believe is the truth. If I really believed that it’s more likely than not that there’s no God, I too would be an agnostic. In aContinue reading “Dismissing Religion?”

Jack Black Evangelism

I think the emerging church should disappear and then emerge again – as something entirely different. I think it should do that every five years, in that emerging church spirit of always wanting something new and hip. I think it should emerge with great fanfare, set to music, preferably with people dancing and looking deeply spiritualContinue reading “Jack Black Evangelism”

Finding Truth (truth, prt 3)

In my last post I wrote about denial — how it seems to be one of the default ways we deal with life. Today I want to focus on the first part of the growth journey, which is finding the truth. We cannot move forward in any area of life where we are stuck untilContinue reading “Finding Truth (truth, prt 3)”