According to the Pew Research Center, only 41 percent of Americans are able to state both the Muslim name for God and the name of the Islamic sacred text. Knowledge of the basic beliefs and practices of this beautiful religion is even lower. I’m not an expert on Islam but I have Read More...
On Dec. 24, 2003, my wife, Julie, was busy finalizing plans for our very first Kansas City Christmas celebration when there was an unexpected knock at the door. It was our next door neighbor. The neighbor was holding a beautiful Christmas basket full of homemade goodies and treats. What surprised Julie Read More...
“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children…” I’ve never preached a sermon on this verse at Christmas or any other time for that matter. It’s part of the story though. You may recall when Joseph and Read More...
Our visit to the Holy Land two weeks ago included a stop at the Wailing Wall. On our way to this sacred place of prayer, we traveled past heavily armed Israeli soldiers. Just outside there was a concrete wall topped with barbed wire. I wasn’t sure who was being kept out (or Read More...
My first Sunday in the pulpit at Country Club Christian Church was Jan. 19, 2003. That day I woke early, made coffee and sat down to review my sermon. It was titled, “When You See the Angels You’ll Know Why You Believe.” I thought the sermon was pretty good but I noticed Read More...
Two young, good looking men knocked on the door of a certain householder and asked, “Would you like to go to heaven?” The householder thought for a minute, then asked, “Will you two be there?” “Oh most definitely,” came the hearty reply. “Then I don’t want to go.” Many Christians think that Read More...
The power to forgive begins when we are able to name our pain, our anger and, here is the hard part, our need to be forgiven, too. When we are able to remember our sin, our flawed behavior, we are more able to move from pharisaism to kindness, from harsh and judgmental Read More...
My buddy Mike Yaconelli was the Guru of American Youth Ministry. He ran workshops and conferences for youth ministers. Thousands of church youth workers from all over America would show up at these events. Mike almost always gave one of the keynote sermons. He was a powerful speaker. I attended several of Read More...
Many times people say to me, “I don’t know a lot about the Bible. Is there a good book I can read that will help me understand it better?” The answer is yes and here are my top three books on the Good Book. Making Sense of the Bible, by Adam Hamilton. Read More...
Last week at the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) there was a genuine spirit of enthusiasm and joy as we encountered the ancient words of Isaiah calling us to raise our wings and “Soar!” There were many realistic voices of concern raised also. Worship attendance and church membership Read More...
We worship every week in order to hear old words like the one John wrote to the church 2,000 years ago: “There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear!” I believe that with all of my heart but I still have to wrestle with fear. There is so Read More...
One of my all-time favorite movies is “The Blues Brothers,” starring John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd. They are ex-convicts who have put together a blues band in order to raise money for an orphanage. They are total losers. They seem to mess up at every opportunity. Any time anyone asks them what Read More...
“Our God is a great and wonderful God!” I heard those words several years ago while on a mission trip to South Africa. Our team was worshipping in a small church in Knapp’s Hope, a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. The villagers shouted for joy, sang with great gusto and Read More...
Every year I like to share my summer reading list with you all. If any of you are reading some of these books, please let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts about them. Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by General Stanley McChrystal. A friend, Read More...
In the Oscar nominated film, Selma, we see a portrayal of Martin Luther King and his leadership that is both inspiring and honest. King has been memorialized in stone, but as the movie demonstrates, no one, not even history’s greatest and most transformative leaders, emerge onto the world’s stage as icons. The Read More...
