A Prayer from the Ashes

based on Joel 2:12-27 Faithful God, we’re feeling broken. Hatred, disease, anxiety, and doubt are tearing open our hearts, weighing down our bodies, and casting a shadow over our spirits. We’re struggling to find hope amid the ashes of what used to be–some still-glowing ember that might re-ignite our confidence in the future’s promise. ButContinue reading “A Prayer from the Ashes”

Yes, Your Church Needs a Pastoral Relations Committee

A few months ago, I stood in a room of 30 or so young United Church of Christ clergy. I was there to lead a presentation about call agreements, that document in our church tradition that in other places is better known as a contract: the terms to which minister and ministry setting agree atContinue reading “Yes, Your Church Needs a Pastoral Relations Committee”

Competition vs. Co-Creation

In his Fearless Strategies newsletter, career coach Lucian James tells a story of when he was in a sparring session with a fellow martial artist. He describes his own reticence to go too hard during the session for fear of hurting his partner, and his opponent picked up on this. Shortly after, James received aContinue reading “Competition vs. Co-Creation”