Monthly Archives: January 2013

BLOG 1/30/13. MISSIONS AS ENTERTAINMENT? In my (long) lifetime I have watched the emergence of annual missions conferences in church communities as a significant point in a community’s calendar. It was good and exciting to bring in an array of … Continue reading →

BLOG 1/28/13. HOW ABOUT OUR MISSION TO THE EMERGING GENERATION? In many church traditions the season of Epiphany is also the time when the church revisits its priority on missions, this because of the encounter of the Middle Eastern astronomers/wise … Continue reading →

BLOG 1/24/13. WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? Last Sunday in Christian gatherings all over this country folk prayed: “ … Thy kingdom [literally] be coming, Thy will be being done on earth as it is in heaven.” Then on Monday … Continue reading →

BLOG 1/21/13: THE TOO-OFTEN SILENCE OF THE CHURCH WHEN IT SHOULD BE PROPHETIC Today is a day full of drama with the inauguration of our president, and of remembering the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Today it is acceptable … Continue reading →

BLOG 1/17/13. DIALOGUE: STRAIGHT CHRISTIANS AND GAY CHRISTIANS Let’s begin with the fact that I’m a “straight” Christian guy, and am formed by my orthodox upbringing in Biblical teachings (with maybe a dash of Puritan thrown in). But then, I … Continue reading →

BLOG 1/14/13. BETTY HENDERSON: A MOST REMARKABLE EXAMPLE Ninety years ago this month Betty Colburn was born in Kansas City, Kansas. Sixty years ago she agreed to be my wife, and became Betty Colburn Henderson. Fourteen months ago my Betty … Continue reading →

BLOG. 1/10/13: “I’M NOT INTO RELIGION, BUT I AM ‘SPIRITUAL’” Conversations with friendly folk in coffee shops, or pubs, surface an interesting response when many of these find out that I have had a long career as a pastor and … Continue reading →

BLOG: 1/7/13. “OF STAGING AREAS AND BASE CAMPS” Did it ever come to your attention that neither Jesus nor the New Testament writers give any particular attention to the form of the church? The focus is on the purpose, i.e., … Continue reading →

BLOG 01/03/13. NIT-PICKING: THE CHURCH IS NOT A PLACE Happy New Year! May 2013 be filled with blessings for you. Having said that, let me begin this new year with what may seem to be a bit of nit-picking, but … Continue reading →