October 8, 2008 · 5:01 am

Comfort is in the eye of the beholder


When you read the lament Psalms are you comforted? Do you feel God’s care for your plight? Over the years I’ve had a number of conversations about this topic. Some find great comfort in reading about God’s concern for his people in the midst of their suffering. Others prefer to hang out in more positive, praise oriented passages in order to meditate on the good things God is doing. Some find more comfort in realism now, others find comfort in expectantly meditating on heaven.

How about you? How about those you might try to comfort in their time of misery? Does empathizing with the depths of trouble being faced (e.g., “Wow, what you are going through is incredibly hard!”) help or does it endanger more depressing thoughts? Does talking of ultimate delivery in heaven help or distance you from your friend? It is key for us to find out as we walk with those going through the valley.

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Filed under biblical counseling, Biblical Reflection, christian counseling, christian psychology, Christianity, Christianity: Leaders and Leadership, counseling, suffering, teaching counseling

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October 7, 2008 · 5:08 am

Manhattan


Off to NYC to talk to a group of pastors regarding their spiritual and relational health. My basic point: unique stressors of ministry plus unmet personal/professional expectations equals stress responses that either destroy or strengthen a pastor. No rocket science here but I hope to get them thinking about some practical steps they might take to ensure their own renewal. Some Shepherds tend, I’m sorry to say, to focus on the care of the sheep but neglect their own care–thus forgetting they themselves are sheep.

Interested in a summary of research on the unique situation of pastors? Check out the “slides” page for a brief paper written by me last year for a group of us meeting to dream about starting a center for multi-level care for christian leader families.

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Filed under Anxiety, Christianity, Christianity: Leaders and Leadership, Depression, Evangelicals, pastoral renewal, pastors and pastoring

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October 6, 2008 · 10:25 am

Worldvision AIDS Exhibit


Worldvision has traveling show that you might want to consider attending. Locally, a church in Bethlehem, PA is hosting this 30 minute narrated event next weekend. If you attend (free tix that must be reserved on-line) you will hear the story of one of 3 children as you walk through the event. Was planning on going but the website suggests not bringing kids under 10 and some of the stories should not be heard by those under the age of 13 (due to information regarding sex trafficking, sexual abuse, murder, death, etc.).

Here’s the link: http://www.wvexperience.org/default.asp

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Filed under Abuse, Christianity, church and culture, sexuality, stories, suffering

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October 6, 2008 · 5:55 am

The color of poverty


event image

Interested in a evening of good art and consciousness raising about the poor of the world? On the 9th of November (7 pm) Linda Ruth Paskell will be at New Life Presbyterian Church (Glenside, PA)displaying some of her photographs from recent trips to Africa and Latin America and telling stories about what she learned. Check out www.newlifeglenside.com in a few weeks for more information.

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October 3, 2008 · 8:03 am

Answer the question!


Here’s a thought. How about a small electric shock each time the candidates answer a question other than the one posed to them? Or maybe the audience could hiss each time they go off topic….

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October 2, 2008 · 5:21 am

Economic crunch and the 2nd greatest commandment


Yesterday I mused about how I didn’t see much change in the spending and consuming habits of those in my area. Yes, Jess, it does appear people are spending to abandon around here. We do have less of the credit crunch I believe since housing developments didn’t boom in this area.

But, let’s consider another related area. When times are tough on the pocketbook, one of the first things to do isn’t stuff for me, it’s donations to others. We know this because nonprofits are registering their lowest levels of donations since the weeks around 9/11 (when we suspect many stopped giving to their usual ministries to give to 9/11 victim families).

There are two possible reasons for this drop in giving: (1) people actually have less income and so give less, or (2) people give less for fear of not having enough income. Probably both are true. The challenge when we face tough times is to keep remembering to love our neighbors and not become fixated on our own needs/wants. It is true that we can love our neighbors without giving a dime but I suspect even our non-monetary giving decreases when our own anxiety increases.

This reminds me of cry of Proverbs 30:8-9: …give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, “who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

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Filed under Biblical Reflection, Christianity, church and culture, News and politics

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October 1, 2008 · 10:00 am

Changing your spending habits?


Given the Wall Street/Credit crisis that impacts us all (but not yet fully clear how many different ways it will do so), are you changing your spending habits at this time? If so, how?

From my observations (and they are only anecdotal) I see little changes. When gas went over 4 bucks a gallon, I didn’t notice any drop in traffic on the road. Now that everyone’s investments have shrunk in the last few weeks and a portion of the country has gone belly up on their mortgages, are those of us who aren’t in bankruptcy changing what we do?

We’re told it is a crisis and I believe it is. But what is changing about how you spend your money? I’ve heard the stories of how the great depression and WW II changed how people ate, how they lived. My mother-in-law tells of the garden they had to feed the family, of how they had to burn furniture in the stove to heat the house.

Do you believe it will come to this for a large portion of the country?

How are you changing your spending habits now?

How much time are you spending worrying over your economic future?

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September 30, 2008 · 7:25 pm

Help for nightmare sufferers?


Dreams hold much mystery as to the whys and wherefores. And yet many people suffer from frequent nightmares. The brain keeps processing our anxiety, discouragement, stress and it shows up in strange and repetitive nightmares. The more emotional or physical pain, the more likely you’ll have a nightmare.

But here’s something interesting. A study was done in Germany that found that dreaming sleepers subjected to the smell of rotten eggs had more nightmares than those subjected to the smell of roses.

I wonder if those who suffer frequent nightmares might find benefit from aroma therapy while they sleep. If it really worked outside the lab, it would be cheaper and probably less side-effects than medications. Just don’t use candles…

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September 29, 2008 · 10:41 am

Check out this Biblical event!


Want to meet a number of key missional leaders all in one place for a reasonable price? Wondered what missional was all about? Come to Biblical Seminary on October 10th (THIS FRIDAY) to hear Scot McKnight(Jesuscreed.org), Tim Keel, Darrell Guder, and the ever stimulating, even controversial Brian McLaren (along with some local greats as well) do plenary talks and break-outs on a number of related topics. It costs $75 for the day or $40 for the evening. The size will not be too large so you can expect to have actual conversations with some of the leaders. The event is capped by installing our very own theologian, Dr. John Frankeas the Lester and Kay Clemens Chair of Missional Theology.

Check out this link for more info: https://webmail.biblical.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.biblical.edu/pages/connect/franke%2520installation.htm

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Filed under Biblical Seminary, Christianity, Christianity: Leaders and Leadership, Doctrine/Theology, missional, Missional Church

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September 26, 2008 · 1:02 pm

Magical places


While in Chicago last Saturday I skipped out on the morning conference session to drive Wheaton College. It was nice to see old stomping grounds (where I did my doctorate). But the highlight was taking a friend to the Wade Center which houses the papers of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, George McDonald (and 3 other literary greats whose names I’m forgetting right now). Below is a phone pic of a most magical place, Lewis’ actual wardrobe. You can’t help but reach through the coats to see if the back wall is there or not. You can see a note on the door that warns that the Wade Center is not responsible for lost children who enter the wardrobe.

Enter Narnia at your own risk!

Enter Narnia at your own risk!

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