Youth Workers, Pastors, Churches. . . And The Misuse of Authority. . .
This week I’ve had several conversations with youth workers who are struggling with authority issues in their ministry settings. The conversations have been frustrating. When I’m on the listening end of these stories, I typically default very quickly to a…
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“Scripts”. . . This Year’s Commencement Address. . .
We’re in graduation season. This week, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the institutions, faculty, and friends who shaped my life. Both my undergraduate college (Geneva College) and seminary (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) are holding graduation exercises this weekend. I…
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The Fluidity of Identity in Today’s World. . . A Thought-Provoking Video. . .
A friend sent me a link to this video yesterday. I understand it’s been around for a few days so my apologies for getting to it perhaps a little late. I found it incredibly enlightening and incredibly disturbing at the…
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Who’s In The Rest Room? . . . First Steps In Framing The Issue. . .
Last week at our annual CPYU Banquet, our emcee Greg Anderson offered a few words of introduction right out of the gate. “Who could have imagined when we were here this time last year the changes that would take place…
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A Prayer About Depression. . .
This weekend it’s my privilege to speak at the commencement ceremony at Simpson University in Redding, California. I’ve done this before in a few different places and it’s a difficult assignment. So, I’ve been thinking, praying, and studying through this…
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Thoughts On Crisis Response. . . 17 Years Post-Columbine. . .
There are certain days that stay stuck in our head. It’s always something out-of-the-ordinary that drives the memories so deep into our heads that we just can’t forget. It could be an exciting event like your wedding or the birth…
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Texting, Driving. . . And A Great Video To Show Your Kids. . .
Spring has sprung here in Central Pennsylvania where I live. That means I’m climbing back on the bicycle. That also means that I’m spending an increased amount of time looking into the faces of the drivers I encounter on the…
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Wisdom. . . And The Lack Thereof In Social Media. . .
Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. If he was ministering in today’s world I believe he would stretch that to include what and how we speak on social media. In other…
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Girls and Sex. . . An Interview With Peggy Orenstein. . .
For some reason, releasing books on kids and sex is in season. Perhaps the reason is that the topic must be addressed because sex and sexuality have not only taken center stage in the world of pop culture, but they are at the…
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Kik. . . Some Much-Needed Social Media Awareness. . . .
One of the most horrifying news stories of recent months is the kidnapping and killing of thirteen-year-old Nicole Madison Lovell by two Virginia Tech students. Lovell desperately sought to fit in. A life-time of battling medical issues, her red hair,…
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“Mike Schmidt Can Bite Me”. . . Role Models and Sports Civility Lost. . .
Baseball’s old guys have every right to speak up about honoring the game. . . especially those who played it so well for so long. They’ve earned their right. And we should expect them to do so when the integrity…
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Brussels. . . The Garden. . . and Praying For Our Enemies
This week has offered me another one of those “perfect storms” of challenge where numerous things come together in ways that stretch me way beyond my comfort zone. It began with a trip to my parents’ house on Monday night.…
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