“I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old - things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.  We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders … Continue reading The Power of Sharing Your Stories

I can’t say with integrity that I’m an activist or a major community leader. I’m simply a small congregation pastor, a teacher of the scriptures. I’ve wrestled with how to write about the protest movements that are shaking our nation. Everything I’ve drafted rings hollow or tone-deaf or hubristic. I don’t claim to have earned … Continue reading Black Lives Matter

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11) "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Proverbs 25:11) … Continue reading The Art of Spiritual Conversation: Speaking Encouragement

Perhaps you’ve wrestled with the beast of Catastrophe Thinking. It seizes on you in vulnerable moments and taunts you with possibilities of the worst case scenario. A vaguely worded text like “Can we talk later?” becomes a nightmare house filled with the phantoms of possible conflicts, arguments, and disasters. A fledgling idea is murdered before … Continue reading Fight Catastrophe Thinking With The Discipline of Praying the Psalms

In the quarantine, I've been experimenting with writing microfiction on Twitter.  The goal is to tell a story in a single tweet (280 characters). I created a new account for this project:  Dr. Fortuno's Cabinet of Curiosities. For your weekend reading enjoyment, here are the top 3 most liked posts from the past week.  Note … Continue reading Friday Microfiction

“To answer before listening - that is folly and shame.”  Proverbs 18:13 “Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions.”  Proverbs 18:2 In last week’s post, we talked about asking good questions. The other side of asking good questions is active listening. Active listening is a very important skill for … Continue reading The Art of Spiritual Conversation: Active Listening

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters.  But one who has insight draws them out.”  (Proverbs 20:5) We are all ministers. We minister to one another in the church, and we minister to the broader world. We want to grow the kingdom of Christ by inviting the people in our lives to take … Continue reading The Art of Spiritual Conversation: Asking Good Questions

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell … Continue reading What Does It Mean To Have Childlike Faith?

When was the last time you looked up at the night stars? When did you last let your gaze linger on the stars, pondering the expanse of space? Mornings and nights are often so cluttered, so frenetic, so hectic that it’s easy for me to miss the quiet invitation of the stars. Yet when I … Continue reading Starry, Starry Night — Enchantment With the Stars