Tag: discipleship
-

Something Better Than “Giving Something Up” For Lent?
Ash Wednesday kicks off Lent — the 40-day period leading up to Easter (excluding Sundays). During that time, a lot of people “give something up.” Originally this had more to do with fasting, but now many take a broader approach. Here are some of the most popular casualties: Chocolate Alcohol Certain foods (especially junk food or…
-

12 Trends In The Church Today
We’re not in Kansas anymore. That’s pretty obvious. But maybe that’s a good thing. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of research on what’s happening in today’s church. So I thought I’d share. This isn’t an analysis of cultural trends, or a commentary on the church’s capacity to evolve. It’s a sharing of observations, through my own lens,…
-
How to Not Worship the Bible
The biggest “issue” in the church is how to interpret the Bible. That’s how I see it. Think of conversations about the environment, or homosexuality, or how science intersects with faith, or evil happening to good people, or human rights, or the church or whatever. At the heart of it all is what the Bible “says”…
-
4 Easy Ways to Change the World (with your kids) This Month
Okay, I admit it. That title promises a lot! But think of it like this: I once heard someone talk about how people think they need to make a big contribution to the world (a “legacy”) in some huge dramatic gesture. Something so head-turning and philanthropic that you get your name on a plaque or…
-
The 411 on Holy Week Words
(Warning: The content about crucifixion is for mature audiences.) benedictus qui venit! Huh? I was in an airport recently and overheard people talking in a different language. I couldn’t understand a single thing. Then it struck me: Often faith language can seem like a foreign language to many people. And during called Holy Week this can…
-

Huh? Pancakes, Ashes, 40 Days, Rebirth
Why do people eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? Why do people put ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday? What is Lent and why do people “give something up” for it? Every year these things starting happening and I often get a bunch of questions about their meaning and history. So I thought I’d blog…
