…I’ll be recovering from running 26.2 miles… that is if i finish! For the last 4 months I’ve been training hard for this marathon. I’ve made a couple posts on my blog as to why I’m running the marathon (Why I’m Running The Chicago Marathon) and what I’ve kept on running (Why I Run.). When I started this training one of my main goals was to support one of the communities that I care about the most. After we adopted Mason from Guatemala we began looking for ways to come alongside the people in the home of his birthplace. Many of you know we found Lemonade International, who has been doing some amazing work there in the heart of Guatemala City – La Limonada is...Read More →
Category: General Blogging
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September 26, 2011
Two Weeks from Today…
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April 27, 2011
Is Diversity About Being Hip and Relevant?
Great article on diversity and the changing world from Faith and Leadership: Most of us have heard a variation of this statement: “The United States is becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. To stay ‘relevant,’ we must adapt to this new reality.” I have often wondered exactly what this statement is supposed to mean for the church. Does it mean that churches filled primarily with white or black persons should somehow forget such folks and focus on other people? Does it mean churches should start playing some imagined stereotypical Hispanic music? It is never clear. Rather, it seems as if the statement is typically more a veiled threat: get hip (somehow) or disappear. Forget getting hip. The growing diversity is a gift from God, a...Read More →
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April 19, 2011
Reflecting on Back Surgery & the Poor
For the last 6 months my I’ve had shooting pain down my left leg in addition to it going numb all the way down to my toes whenever I stand for more than 3-5 minutes. Strangely, it has been the worst when walking through a grocery store. I’ve taken that as a sign to stop walking through grocery stores. In related news, we’ve spent less money when shopping for food. Today, I’ve been laying in bed a most of the day recovering from back surgery that I had yesterday. I had spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spine) plus a herniated disk in the L4-L4 vertebrae that my wonderful doctor kindly fixed for me. I am still a bit sore and kinda doped up on percocet so...Read More →
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April 13, 2011
Few Bear the Cross
From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A’Kempis, “Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross. He hath many seekers of comfort, but few of tribulation. He findeth many companions of His table, but few of His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to undergo anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus that they may eat of His loaves, but few that they may drink of the cup of His passion. Many are astonished at His Miracles, few follow after the shame of His Cross. Many love Jesus so long as no adversities happen to them. Many praise Him and bless Him, so long as they receive any comforts from Him. But if Jesus hide...Read More →
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January 3, 2011
I am Joining the Lemonade International Board
It was with a deep sense of humility that I can announce that I have officially joined the board of Lemonade International. Lemonade International exists to “educate and empower the people of the largest urban slum in Central America, La Limonada.” La Limonada is known to have the 4th highest murder rate in the world. There is a saying in Guatemala City that “even Santa Claus doesn’t visit La Limonada.” I have shared with a few Guatemalan friends from here in the States that we visited there last summer and their response was “and you are not dead?!” By all accounts La Limonada is a hopeless place. But, by God’s account, it is a place where He is making beauty out of ashes. A Guatemalan...Read More →
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December 15, 2010
Six Themes of Change in the Church
Scot McKnight points to some new research by Barna. Kinda depressing really.
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December 13, 2010
My heart is completely about to explode…
We’ve been intentionally pursuing friendship with the folks in La Limonada, Guatemala over the past year. This community has become dear to our hearts. Some great news! The “Mi Casita” Safe Home has become a reality for the first eleven children who have just moved into the place they will now call “home” – where they will be provided with unconditional love, healthy nutrition, one-on-one attention from a psychologist and a support structure from house parents. A letter from Tita, the Guatemalan Directory in La Limonada is included in the news post on the Lemonade International blog. I love the way she writes.. My heart is completely about to explode. I feel lke Jesus is very pleased with this. I can see him smile because he...Read More →
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December 3, 2010
Outsourcing Parenting?
Doesn’t seem like this is rocket science.. For decades, parents have relied on youth group meetings, mission trips, and other church programming to instill a solid sense of faith in their children… …When researchers consider which factors account for strong faith commitments in teenagers and young adults, one element is consistently more pivotal than all others: parental involvement. Parents who practice faith intentionally at home and guide their children to do likewise are most likely to raise children with clear understandings and robust commitments. but how many of our churches are effectively doing something about this?
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December 3, 2010
Design Can’t Rise Above Content
This is a great article on how good design, in the long term, can’t make up for bad content. This transfers to many different areas of life and business. For example, a great worship service can’t hide a bad community life. A nice house can’t hide a bad marriage. Good marketing can’t help a screwed up organization.
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May 15, 2010
Missional Leadership Culture – Leading in and With the Congregation for the Sake of Others
This post is part of a series on some of the key aspects of the leadership culture we are seeking to create at The Well. These are the concepts and ideas that we have found help guide us and lead us towards being an adaptive and creative community that is able to push the bounds of what it means to be the church while still having a sense of organization and structure. This series of statements is some of what we’ve learned along the way and is still a work in progress. But, I share them here in the hopes that our experience will help others and also with the hopes of learning from what you have learned along the way as well. Introduction (5/11/2010)...Read More →
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January 16, 2010
Top 55 Pastor-Bloggers
So, apparently I am one of the top 55 pastor bloggers. Not sure how that list was made. But I guess its cool. And hey, I am #33 right after the one and only Eugene Cho. Maybe that’s because we share a name (my middle name is Eugene and I used to be embarrassed of it until I started reading Eugene Peterson and met Eugene Cho!). In light of that, Naked Pastor has posted a list of 10 suggestions for pastor bloggers. It’s a good list and one that I would add that has really helped me in my blogging is this: Don’t stop being a pastor on your blog. So many people try to increase their readership by being provocative, edgy and use...Read More →
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October 20, 2009
What Story Are You Living? Reflections on Don Miller’s Book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”
Like many others, I read Donald Miller’s book, “Blue Like Jazz” in about three sittings. That’s not only cause it’s an easy read, but mostly because he’s a great story teller. I enjoyed Don’s first book a lot (I can call him Don, after all, like everyone else who reads his book, I feel like I know him). But, I’ll admit I mostly enjoyed Blue Like Jazz, it wasn’t too life changing or transforming for me. But in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, he really struck a chord with me. In fact, I was hooked on the first page where he wrote, If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for a few years to get it,...Read More →
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September 26, 2009
I Still Haven’t Found What I am Looking For – Reflections on U2 at Giants Stadium
Thursday morning I received a phone call at 5:10am from my dad. Being that my dad lives in Chicago it meant that he was calling me at 4:10am. That’s never a good phone call. It wasn’t. He was calling me to tell me that my grandmother had passed away 20 minutes earlier. Thankfully, I had been in Chicago earlier in the week and was able talk with her and our family was able to have a special time together on Sunday evening. That made it easier but the news was still deeply painful. I grew up with my Grandma Longenecker. She’s been a very important and steadying influence in my life. I know for a fact that she prayed for me everyday. I know because...Read More →
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August 29, 2009
Lemonade International
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July 2, 2009
The Suburban Mob: A Year Later
It has been exactly a year since I put some of the most significant lessons that God had taught me in the last few years to words. It was called, “Are You Rioting with the Suburban Mob.” I’ve been reflecting on these thoughts and where we are as a family now, a year later. I can say that we have put some great effort into refocusing our lives and being aware of the culture we are living in and how it is offering a way of life that has some major roadblocks to a distinctly christian life. This has expressed itself in different ways. Some ways we have been successful and other ways have been harder. For example we’ve made great progress on living more...Read More →
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June 24, 2009
It’s Official: I’m Going Back to Starbucks
It’s hard to believe but I have been a pastor at The Well for about nine years now. In those years, I’ve served at The Well on a part-time-paid basis. This has been an intentional model for us as it allows our church to have a more diverse staff and leadership. This has served us very well as our other part-timer, the one and only Gary Alloway, complements my gifts really well. I can truly say that being “bi-occupational” has been a great asset to the mission of our church community. (By the way, I use the term “bi-occupational” instead of “bi-vocational” because I believe that my vocation as a Christian is “witness.” What I do for pay does not change my vocation. My vocation...Read More →
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June 18, 2009
Throwback Thursday: A Holy (Suburban) Discontent
Every once and a while I think about quitting this whole blogging thing. Then, I end up looking through my archives, or someone comments on an old post, and I’m reminded in the value of blogging. It’s helpful to be able to look back on thoughts, feelings and ideas that have shaped me. Sometimes, this looking back reminds me of something that I need to remember. Chris commented on this post today and it was fitting that today was the day he brought it back up again. For a number of reasons, I’m feeling this discontent as deeply as ever these days. Re-reading this post has been good for me. I hope its helpful for you. Check it out: Read: A Holy (Suburban) Discontent
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June 18, 2009
I Should Write A Blog Post Soon.
But I can’t. I have a lot to say but just not enough time to say it. In other news I am testing out a blog theme that i am designing for release. What do you think so far?
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June 6, 2009
Walmart / Starter marketing FAIL.
I mean, really? A Tony Romo ad in Philly? Really? Right next to Phillies gear? Really? Know your audience people. (If you don’t get it, Philly hates the Cowboys and anyone associated with them).
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June 4, 2009
Throwback Thursday: Are You Plugged In?
Another throwback here. This week I’d like to point you to a blog post that shares some of my early thinking about the idea of being “plugged in” to a church or “assimilated” into a community. I reflect here on some great thoughts by Tim Keel. Hope you enjoy. Here is the link: “Are You Plugged In?”
