Truth be told, I wasn’t sure whether to put this post under the category “Good!” or to invent a new one called “Cute!” – because it certainly is that. But I also think there is something good and true about the interaction between this mama dog and a young boy with Down Syndrome. His name is Hernán; the dog’s, Himalaya. They live in Buenos Aires, and the video was posted by Hernán’s mother, Ana, who writes in a comment to someone who set an edited version of this video to music: Hernán, is a bit withdrawn and flees from physical contact. He does not like be touched, but Himalayan (the dog) insisted so patiently, and...

Today is September 30. Which means that tomorrow is October 1. Which means – in case by now you’re wondering – that Octoberfest — which oddly enough starts in late September — is well underway. Yes, yes, I realize that many may wonder what beer has to do with the Christian faith, but did you know that beer contains xanthohumol – an incredible cancer-fighting antioxident? (Of course, you’d have to drink about 118 gallons of beer a day to get any significant benefit.) Okay, only slightly more seriously, beer and the religion have been intertwined for centuries. The Sumerians, who are credited with first fermenting beer,...

I love television commercials. Actually, that’s not really accurate. Most often, I hate television commercials because I experience them as interruptions of whatever I’m watching, as all-too-often inane sale pitches, and sometimes as downright insulting with regard to the various stereotypes they perpetuate. At the same time, though, from time to time I am surprised, delighted, even inspired by commercials, and that’s when I love them. Sometimes it’s simply that they make me chuckle, as with the VW ad about the little boy playing Darth Vadar. Other times, I’m actually captivated and given insight not only into our popular culture...

Over the next few weeks, folks who attend churches following the Revised Common Lectionary (a pattern of readings following the church year) will be treated to a number of parables in Luke’s Gospel that have to do with money. Luke, more than any of the other Evangelists, seems quite interested in helping Christians think through the relationship between their faith and their finances. And so he shares a number of the stories Jesus tells about people and how they handle their money. Of these parables, one of the most confusing is the one about the “Dishonest Manager” which is the reading appointed for this Sunday. It revolves around the...

I’ve have spent much of the last several years researching congregational vitality, partnering with congregations and their leaders all over the country to ask what makes healthy congregations tick. The results have been fascinating…and encouraging. Part of what I’ve discovered is that every congregation has the capacity to flourish when provided the right support, guidance, and leadership. This work has shaped my teaching tremendously, turning upside down some of the things I thought I knew and stretching me in all kinds of ways I would not have imagined even five years ago. It’s also strongly influenced my writing, both on and...