Should We “Put On Our Own Masks Before Assisting Others”?
You probably don’t want to read today’s article. About twenty years ago, I was having some personal struggles, so I visited a Christian …
Pursuing an Inner Life
The Curiosity Vacuum
Last week I slumped at my gate in an airport. Bored. Twenty-five more minutes until boarding, and I felt the tedium of the wait. How could I kill …
The Ecosystem of Grace
Several months ago I wrote an article about the joy of pausing in the moment of confession; telling God about my total unworthiness, acknowledging my …
Let’s Become Emotional Christians
I woke up last week to the blahs, like Marie Antoinette’s claim, “Nothing tastes.” This happens to me when I’m tired, and ten restless nights had …
Dominating Discussions and Ignoring God
In 1989, the company I worked for was dying. A multi-year sales drought had dried up our bank accounts, and our owner’s cash cistern was dusty as …
The Cowardice of Christian Niceness
Many years ago, a young man was transferred to my department. During his first annual review, he asked me why his raises had been consistently lower …
You Can’t Hurt My Feelings
Thin-skinned people irritate me. (To be fair, I bet I bug them even more.) You don’t “like” their every Facebook post, their feelings get hurt. In a …
I’m Learning To Budget My Brain
Every December I invest fifteen hours or so to plan my life for the next twelve months. I review my current activities, I add some items, remove …
The Danger of Natural Christian Leadership
I studied at the University of Michigan in the 1970’s (like, before indoor plumbing). I joined a campus ministry that emphasized community, the Holy …
Do You Want To Be A Leader? Learn To Listen Not Lecture
Twenty-five years ago a client asked me to meet with her president for an hour-long lunch. Her president was an industry innovator. She warned me, …
Might Modern Worship Be Sort of Like A Cocaine Rush?
I once met with a man—let’s call him Nathan—who described himself as a, “recovering charismatic.” He was open to it; but his experience of modern …
The First Time I Ever Heard God’s Voice
I was ten years old the first time I ever heard God speak to me personally. The new school year had just begun, and a new fad spread among my …