When I was in seminary, we spent a good bit of time studying principles of church growth. The most memorable among them was the Homogeneous Unit Principle (HUP) promoted by Donald McGavran, founder of the church growth movement. Basically, the HUP, when used  in reference to church growth, states that it is easier to build… Continue reading

Christmastime is filled with traditions. Some of those traditions are sacred like Christmas Eve services, lighting the candles of the Advent wreath, and reading the birth narratives in the Gospels. Other traditions are secular like Christmas trees, Santa, movies like Elf, It’s a Wonderful LIfe, and Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That final movie has been… Continue reading

Alicia stares at the five flickering candles poking up from the pink frosting of her birthday cake. With all her giggly friends gathered around, her dad excitedly coaches her, “Make a wish.” Alicia closes her eyes tightly and make a secret wish. She opens her eyes wide, draws in a deep breath, and blows with… Continue reading

Christmas for most people is a festive time filled with family, friends and laughter. I remember the excitement as a child of driving around with my parents to look at the bright lights decorating homes. I recall the family gatherings where both the spirit and the belly were well-nourished. Watching Charlie Brown and Rudolf and… Continue reading

I’m not a big devotee of musicals, but because both my children performed in school musicals and my wife still directs them, I’ve been exposed to a few. One of the songs that occasionally floats through my brain comes from “The Sound of Music.” Perhaps you remember Maria singing “These Are a Few of My… Continue reading

We are finished decorating for Christmas. We pulled everything down from the attic, put up what we could, then returned the empty or nearly empty boxes and tubs back in the attic until it’s time to put it all away for another year. If we ever build a house, I’m going to make sure it… Continue reading

Black Friday,the day after Thanksgiving, is considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Although the term “Black Friday” has been used in many different ways, it has come to be seen as the day when retailers get out of the red and into the black financially, meaning that they begin to make… Continue reading

This past weekend my family and I drove to a wedding that I was to officiate. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a Waffle House. It wasn’t terribly busy, but it was a bit hectic with servers scurrying here and there shouting orders and laughing loudly. There was even some quasi-entertainment as the… Continue reading

Beyond what you can see Is a reality more real than this Beyond what you can see There is One who holds the universe in eternal hands. Beyond what you can see There is peace in the midst of chaos Hope in the midst of hopelessness Strength in spite of your weakness Beyond what you… Continue reading

None of us appreciates it when we are lied to by others. Lies erode our trust and can devastate our relationships. Lies are poisonous and destructive, and they are even more so when we begin to lie to ourselves. Lying to yourself seems to be not only counterproductive but insane, yet so many of us… Continue reading