Category Archives: Mark’s Blog

The Power of Listening

Posted on October 12, 2010 by admin

I’m thinking about listening to people we’re out of the habit of hearing. And I’m reminded of Gordon MacDonald’s marvelous book, Who Stole My Church: What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century. The … Continue reading →

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Working with Young Adults

Posted on October 12, 2010 by admin

I’m working on assignment for the Friends Church pastors that reminds me of a common dilemma facing older churches (by “older” I mean more than 10 years old or more). Older churches want to attract younger adults, which is good. … Continue reading →

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The Blues, Buddy & Jonah

Posted on October 11, 2010 by admin

If you like both the Blues and the Bible (like me) you need to look at this YouTube of Buddy Greene doing Jonah and the whale.  If you like this one, check search for his other YouTube videos. BTW, Buddy … Continue reading →

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Preaching for the Moment

Posted on October 11, 2010 by admin

This morning, I posted to FaceBook my struggle to find old sermon recordings that I want to represent me in my new-job search. Several of my friends responding with wonderfully affirming assessments of my preaching ministry (if you want to … Continue reading →

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Promise from Day-retreat

Posted on October 7, 2010 by admin

“I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me (Psalm 57:2, New Living Translation).” I went into my monthly day-long retreat needing some reassurance that I would ever have a significant assignment in … Continue reading →

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Reacting to Postmodernism

Posted on October 7, 2010 by admin

I’ve been troubled by two extremes in the Christian response to Postmodernism. The first “response” I encountered twelve years ago seemed to be saying, “People see truth differently now, so we need to change our beliefs to fit into theirs.” … Continue reading →

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Get to the Wildnerness, but Make it Short

Posted on October 4, 2010 by admin

” I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. (Interlude) How quickly I would escape– far from this wild storm of hatred.” Psalm 55:7-8, New Living Translation The Psalmist was overwhelmed with activity and stress of life. … Continue reading →

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The Heart of Sin

Posted on October 1, 2010 by admin

Since I led a Bible Study into Isaiah 1 this week, I’ve been wondering about sin. What is the core/root/heart of sin? When I hear church people talk, I am led to think that sex is the worst sin (so … Continue reading →

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Exclusivism: A Meta Sin?

Posted on September 23, 2010 by admin

N.T. Wright suggests that Israel misread God’s intent in the Abrahamic Covenant. Rather than follow their vocation to be light to the world, they believed the covenant granted them exclusive privilege. This Wright labels as their “meta sin, their own … Continue reading →

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Narrative Pauline Exegesis

Posted on September 14, 2010 by admin

I’m reading N.T. Wright’s Paul to deepen my awareness of current narrative understanding of the apostle Paul. What I have gleaned from blogs, etc., is that the latest scholarly understanding of Paul is revealing a man who wrote out of … Continue reading →

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