Back in March, I received a call (an official job offer in our church body) from Peace Lutheran Ministries of Saginaw, Michigan, to serve as their Lead Pastor. At the time, I was happily and comfortably serving the wonderful people of Community Lutheran Church in Flat Rock, also in Michigan, as their Administrative (and sole) … Continue reading On Getting (And Taking) a Call
So, now that you know what a sermon is, and now that you know that a sermon has to hit on both Law and Gospel, let's answer another common question: how in the world does a pastor decide what to preach on, every single week of the year, every year of his ministry? It essentially … Continue reading On Preaching, Part 2: What to Preach On?
In this installment of the "Why Do We Do That?" series, I hope to answer some fairly common questions about an integral part of the worship service and a primary responsibility of a pastor, the sermon. This week: What is a sermon and why do we do it? Next week: How do you decide what … Continue reading On Preaching, Part 1: What Is a Sermon?
Over the coming (school) year, the congregation I serve is going "Back To The Story." Each week, we are encouraging our church family to read along with the book The Story, which is a translation of the Bible in narrative form, making it easier to read as one continuous story. The sermons will focus on … Continue reading Can We Trust The Bible?
If you've hung with me for the first two posts here and here, congratulations! The meandering journey of how and why I became a Pastor concludes this week with a post encapsulating two big moves, two miracle babies, and a series of awakenings... How I Became a Pastor, Part 3: The Thrilling Conclusion In a … Continue reading Why a Pastor, Part 3 (The Last Part!)
In the last post, I began telling the story of how I ended up being a Pastor. Because it's a lifelong story, I found it takes more than one sitting to tell. So if you're still interested, the story continues below: How I Became a Pastor, Part 2: The Best Laid Plans... I arrived at … Continue reading Why A Pastor, Part 2
I am often asked what made me decide to be a Pastor, when I knew I wanted to be a Pastor, how I knew what God was calling me to do, etc. Well, as much as I have tried to boil it down into a short answer, it's actually a long story - one that … Continue reading Why A Pastor?
One of the things my Vicarage Supervisor* taught me is that it is critical for us as the Church to "Never forget what it's like not to know." Do you remember how scary it was to walk into a new church for the first time? How do they do things? Am I dressed appropriately? Will … Continue reading Why Do We Do That?
This week, my own kids are back in school, along with the school that is a crucial part of our ministry. I know some kids were back earlier, and some kids will go back later, but 'tis the season of returns.In so many ways, our lives in America revolve around the school year. That's true … Continue reading Come Back
Here we go! This marks the first entry of what I intend to be a weekly blog about life, ministry and yes, theology. With that in mind, I thought I would kick things off with some answers to questions you might be asking. So without further ado, here are some F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions): Who … Continue reading Welcome In, Welcome Back
Honest Musings from a Regular Guy... Who Also Happens to Be a Lutheran Pastor 