Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
The definitions of the word encourage are explained in three ways which mean to give support, confidence, or hope to (someone), or persuade (someone) to do or continue to do something by giving support and advice or stimulate the development of (an activity, state, or belief). Developing the attitude of […]
As I sat and began to think about what to write for this second article with the goal of some kind of practical equipping, I thought back on some of the most important lessons that I’d learned – some of the most memorable and influential aspects of my spiritual life. […]
Living and working in Belize, I have the great joy of being right near the second largest coral reef in the world. A surprising new activity that I have been able to start enjoying, along with my husband and our oldest son, is scuba diving. We’ve only been able to […]
One of my modalities of self-care is to receive a regular massage from a licensed massage therapist. When many assorted tasks are pressing on me in my work as a pastor – and especially when there are members of my congregation or circles who are going through a tough time […]
Paul’s first encounter with the risen Christ was a unique one and quite frightening. The turnaround of events led Paul to follow Christ and start serving in ministry. You can imagine being struck by lightning, falling to the ground, suddenly hearing a voice from an invisible person, and becoming blind […]
A few weeks ago I listened to the bonus episode of the “Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast that featured Joshua Harris. For those who don’t know, Joshua Harris, back in the ’90s was the author of the book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” A few years ago, Harris began […]
How has being busy distracted from my faith life? As a public school teacher, my day is packed with decisions. The most common types of daily decisions include when to help students, making curriculum improvements, and which professional development topics to explore. And several other types of decisions are added […]
The coming of the new year, from New Year’s Eve throughout the entire month of January, is always a challenging time for me which requires taking some extra time for contemplation and grounding. As someone who grew up in a fundamentalist and apocalyptic tradition, the end of each year often […]
For as long as I can remember, my mother and father have had an incredible ability to identify any bird that they see. This includes all of the typical songbirds you find in rural Pennsylvania, chickadees, wrens, robins, etc; but also the occasional red-tailed hawk, falcon perched on a power […]
My wife and I celebrated our twenty-first anniversary in late November this year. As I reflect, I continue to thank God for his faithfulness in our lives. I wouldn’t want to say that it has been a bed of roses either. Without God’s intervention, there have been challenges that we […]