Frontline/Workplace (Page 3)
Frontline Redeployment: 3 Truths for When God Sends us Someplace New
Over the course of my life, I’ve had a few occasions where God has ‘redeployed’ me to a new frontline – in fact, since I began my career in the Navy, many of these were actual redeployments! Sometimes we welcome these changes. For example, I was really excited when I was heading off to college and about to embark on that new adventure. Other redeployments are not as welcome. Several years ago, when I learned that my team was going…
Worshipful Shopping: Honoring God at Checkout
As I was waiting in line to buy something a few weeks back, I asked myself, “What does it mean to worship God here?” I’m not sure about you, but there are few places I find less worshipful than standing in line waiting to check out. Instead, I just want to get through the line as quickly as possible, and get to the next item on my to-do list! But the reality is that the checkout line is just as…
Worship Leaders Needed / Whole-Life Worship
If your church is typical, you’ll have at least one person who is designated as a ‘worship leader.’ While the responsibilities of this individual vary from church to church, it often includes welcoming the congregation, offering prayers, and inviting everyone to sing songs in adoration to Jesus. As one of the lay leaders in my congregation, over the past year I’ve had the privilege and responsibility to do this. It has been an honor to be able to lead the…
Faithful to the End – John Stott’s Last Week
When we talk about ‘whole-life discipleship’, often what we are referring to is every aspect of our lives – our work, play, volunteering, etc. In other words, how can we live for Christ every day of the week. But it also means every phase of our lives. For example, living as a whole-life disciple will look very different for a freshman in college, as compared to someone in mid-life, or someone who’s recently retired. I recently heard someone share a…
God Bless You – U.S. Senate Chaplain Benediction
A pastor in our most recent Imagine Learning Community wanted to ensure that the last message his congregation heard before they left the building on Sunday morning was that they were being sent back into the world to be a blessing to their frontlines. To do this, he employed a benediction that was inspired by the former chaplain to the U.S. Senate, Richard Halverson: You go nowhere by accident. Wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God…
Give Thanks in a Time of Trouble
Ok, I admit it. I’ve had a hard time getting excited about Thanksgiving this year. It’s not just the holiday itself, which will be different than any other in my lifetime. No, my challenge goes deeper than that. I don’t know how to get in the spirit of the day, to be genuinely thankful in a year that has brought so much difficulty, pain, and loss. I recently shared my struggle with a small group of friends over Zoom. I also…
You Are Indispensable (Your Work Doesn’t Define You)
While I was standing in line the other day waiting to order my lunch, I heard an employee encouraging people to use one of the empty self-service kiosks. I looked over, and saw some customers who had just arrived take up the offer. It then dawned on me that they were now ‘ahead’ of me, even though I was there first! So I felt a little foolish as I continued to wait to place my order with the woman behind…
Connecting Faith and Everyday Life through the Lord’s Prayer
One of our faithful readers responded to my last posting with a question about how Christians can practically connect their faith to their everyday life. It’s a great question, as I believe it’s something most believers have a hard time doing. Many of us have been taught the importance of having a ‘quiet time’ or ‘devotional’—the daily practice of setting aside time to read the Bible and pray. However, if you’ve been a Christian for more than a week, you’ve…
“Curiosity is the New Humility”
I was having lunch recently with a pastor named Dave who had participated in our most recent Imagine Learning Community. He shared with me a catchy phrase that his wife likes to say: “Curiosity is the new humility.” It’s a great line, for sure. What I really appreciated, however, was that it’s not just a slogan for Dave. Rather, he is actively seeking to live out this principle in his pastoral ministry. For example, he recently invited members of his…
The Problem with Elevating Pastoral Ministry Above Other Ministries – “What Ministry Might That Be?”
Several years ago I was sitting in the pew on Sunday morning at historic All Souls Church in central London listening to John Stott preach. To illustrate a point, he recounted a conversation with a friend of his. Apparently John’s friend had shared with him some news about a mutual acquaintance, explaining that this person had recently gone into “the ministry.” John then replied, “What ministry might that be?” John’s friend was confused by the question, particularly from such an…
Between Two Worlds: In But Not Of the World
In my last post I wrote about running, so I thought I’d continue with that theme today. Whenever I go for a jog, I like to listen to praise music. Unfortunately, on one occasion when I popped in the earbuds, one of them didn’t work. I tried to fiddle with it, but nothing helped. At first I was somewhat annoyed by this, as I was hoping to have a wonderful time running and praising God (silently of course!). Once I…
Crossing the Finish Line – God’s Story & Your Everyday Frontline
I could barely make out the finish line approaching in the distance. As I strained my eyes down Boylston Street, I reflected on how many runners had made a similar journey before me – how I was literally following in their footsteps. Yet as I crossed the line of Boston’s historic marathon, there was no moment of elation. No sense of accomplishment. Why? Well, I had not actually run the Boston marathon that day. I was merely running an errand. …