Assembling a Squad

A few weeks ago, I helped facilitate a gathering of people in various stages of preparation to enter authorized ministry. (This was the same gathering during which I wondered if my hotel might be haunted.) One of my responsibilities was to moderate conversation among participants who were closer to the finish line. This was aContinue reading “Assembling a Squad”

Even If the Bag Does Not Inflate

He was waiting for me in the baggage claim area. His name was Gabriel, and he was my designated greeter. I’d just landed in Chicago, there to present at a weekend event for pastors and churches seeking to find renewal and vitality in their life and ministry together. I’d meet them and hear their storiesContinue reading “Even If the Bag Does Not Inflate”

The Actual Doing of the Thing

At the center of this year’s General Synod of the United Church of Christ, a “pray space” had been provided for children up through preschool age. It included tables at which to color or draw, some mats for crawling and tumbling, and a few other modest amenities for creative play. The idea for such anContinue reading “The Actual Doing of the Thing”