With the end of the Reagonomics at hand (something I’ve been predicting for a while), I’ve found myself being nostalgic for 1980’s, MTV High Rotation pop music, especially the LA based bands which were made up of session musicians who would do a great album or two but then fall apart as egos clashed and […]
This is the fourth in a series of sermons on The Sermon on the Mount, preached at the Antioch United Methodist Church in Nashville. Bear Sterns. Lehman Brothers. Fannie May and Freddie Mac. AIG. Washington Mutual. Just a few months ago these were names that we may have been familiar with, but were hardly on […]
I’ve been in a Sheryl Crow mood all day and since there isn’t a good copy of “Peace Be Upon Us” on YouTube this will have to do. It’s probably fitting given the great gasoline shortage of 2008…
The word “maverick” has been tossed about quite a bit lately, and I always love to consider the origins of words. Consider Merriam Webster’s definition: mav·er·ick 1: an unbranded range animal ; especially : a motherless calf 2: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party Etymology: Samuel A. Maverick […]
A couple of years ago, I became aware of an “alternative” youth worker’s gathering focused on ministry in urban areas. I had been familiar with Youth Specialties and the National Youth Worker’s Convention (attending several times) but the Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI) was new to me, and I’ve tried to figure out a […]
We were in a Children’s Ministries meeting when the idea first arose. “Did you hear about Loren’s birthday party,” one mom told another. “They had a food fight as part of the party!” Loren’s mom, sitting quietly across the table, piped in. “You know it’s really easy to do and it’s a bunch of fun. […]
Each week, at the end of “This Week with George Stephanapolis,” there is a recognition of the U.S. soliders who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan during the previous week. However, they aren’t the only victims of these wars: The Army has recorded 62 confirmed suicides this year, and half as many more deaths may be […]
Back in 2002, it was time to get a new car. The Honda Civic with 280,000 miles had served me well for 10 years, but it was getting on its last legs and needed to be replaced. So after watching the listings on the Internet for a while, I ran over to the local Carmax […]
Late Update: I’m surprised this hadn’t occurred to me. But several readers have suggested that perhaps one of the tech geeks charged with setting up the audio/visual bells and whistles for the evening was tasked with getting pictures of Walter Reed Army Medical Center but goofed and got this instead. At first I thought, No, […]
Watching the GOP in the storm they’ve created, I’ve come to a sad conclusion – the culture war is back, even angrier and more brutal than ever. Listening to Rudy spew sarcasm and disdain last night, talking about cosmopolitan values about a man raised by a single mom in Kansas, following the air war & […]
Thanks to all who responded to my question asking for help with my October sermon series. As the comments have rolled in, it’s become clear that my specificity in what I was looking for was lacking. So here are a few thoughts on the sermon series development process. When I talk about a “hook,” I […]
If you haven’t heard by now, Google has come out with their own web browser named Chrome. It launched today in beta and I have been using it through the afternoon, with good results. Here are a few random thoughts on the product: One of the great tests of any new browser is whether it […]
Students brought into the new Metro Attendance Center have a choice — take a citation, head to court and risk paying more than $100 in fines and fees or accept social services offered by the center and don’t miss school for six straight weeks. Most choose the latter. Metro tackles truancy with help center | […]
only wonder understands