“I choose you" Makes you feel kind of special, right? This is the first movement of Nouwen’s explanation of the spiritual life: our chosen-ness. “When love chooses, it chooses with a perfect sensitivity for the unique beauty of the chosen one …,” Nouwen writes. In other words, God sees the fullness of our distinctiveness (for He shaped … Continue reading Explore the Spiritual Classics: Life of the Beloved (part 2)
Author: Russell Smith
Explore the Spiritual Classics: Life of the Beloved (pt 1)
Why bother with spiritual things?Henri Nouwen wrote Life of the Beloved to answer that question. He had developed a close friendship with a sophisticated, non-religious urbanite. This friend, Fred, was a part of an intellectual society that had lost all resonance with the forms of religion. Yet Fred saw in Nouwen a deep rootedness, a … Continue reading Explore the Spiritual Classics: Life of the Beloved (pt 1)
People Are Not Projects
“He’s not there yet, but I’m working on him.”Ever heard something like that? Tell the truth – have you ever said something like that? In our task-dominated, project managed world, have you ever treated another person as a problem to be solved, a to-do to be checked off, or a project to be completed? Worse that that … Continue reading People Are Not Projects
Romantic Realism: A Meditation of Ecclesiastes 3:16-22
The famous “To everything there is a season” passage of Ecclesiastes teaches us how to die, and it teaches us how to live. This next passage that follows pushes to apply those teaching when confronted with the harsh realities of life.“Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was … Continue reading Romantic Realism: A Meditation of Ecclesiastes 3:16-22
4 Steps To Become A Curator Of Inspiration
Curator of Inspiration: It’s not a job title – it’s a role. It’s something you do, regardless of your official position in the organization. I’ve written earlier about the Pastor as a Curator of Inspiration; this is just one of many hats a pastor gets to wear. However, it’s a fun hat, and it’s a … Continue reading 4 Steps To Become A Curator Of Inspiration
One Church, Many Tribes. It’s Not a New Problem.
We used to think that generational difference determined church participation – “Builders” like traditional forms of church, “Boomer” like seeker-sensitive churches, “Gen X” likes a harder, edgier church. Therefore, when we talk about the Age of Design, that’s just church for Millennials, right? Not exactly. Certainly the cultural zeitgeist shapes the generation coming of age … Continue reading One Church, Many Tribes. It’s Not a New Problem.
Spaceship Earth: Is it Babel or Jerusalem?
Continuing the discussion on the Age of Design….My friend Joshua Long, while ruminating on the concept of the Age of Design, had 2 contrasting scriptures come to mind: The Tower of Babel and Nehemiah 1 (where Nehemiah prayerfully undertakes the task of restoring ruined Jerusalem)And that made me think of Spaceship Earth. Yes, the ride … Continue reading Spaceship Earth: Is it Babel or Jerusalem?
A Time To Live (Meditation on Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, part 2)
Ecclesiastes teaches us how to die, but it also teaches us how to live. Our life is a series of continual releases. But our life is also a series of embraces, taking hold of that which is before us. In the Jewish tradition, the feast of Sukkot (going on right now), also known as the feast … Continue reading A Time To Live (Meditation on Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, part 2)
Part 2 of Author Interview with Steve McCutchan
This is part 2 of an interview with Steve McCutchan, pastor and author of the spiritual mystery novel A Star and a Tear. If you missed Part I, you can read it here.Q. On the spectrum of theology, I fall pretty far to the conservative end of things. I'm curious what you hope that your … Continue reading Part 2 of Author Interview with Steve McCutchan
Author Interview: Steve McCutchan, author of A Star and a Tear
Watch out for those pastors who become authors. Not just me. There are more of us out there. Let me tell you about Steve McCutchan. I knew of Steve while I lived in Winston-Salem; I had heard of his work with the Presbyterian Interracial Dialogue; I knew of his leadership in the Presbytery. When Tammy … Continue reading Author Interview: Steve McCutchan, author of A Star and a Tear
Horizons of the Possible 