Stories of people traveling back to an earlier time in their life makes for a decent movie plot. But it is not reality. If for some extraordinary reason that opportunity presented itself, I do not think returning to 7th grade would top my list. In fact, I seriously doubt it would make the top 10 on anyone’s list. Despite such automatic hesitancy I came as close as I ever will to returning to that formative time period in life last…
I was sitting on a plane at the Milwaukee airport getting ready for takeoff last April when I received word via text message that a childhood friend had passed away a few moments earlier. And then on a Saturday in June as I was putting the finishing touches on a sermon, I received a similar message about another friend from my formative years. He lost his battle with brain cancer that morning. Both of those guys lived on the same…
Kyle (not his real name) is 50 years old. We were born within a few days of each other. But Kyle did not have the same experiences I did in elementary school. He didn’t attend any junior high dances. And he never graduated from high school. Nor has Kyle married or had children. In 1962, Kyle was born with Down’s syndrome. Several years ago Kyle was the victim of a predator. He was forced to endure heinous sexual assaults. The…
Mr. Suttle passed away last night. There won’t be a lot of fanfare about his death. He was a very private man who spent his career driving a greyhound bus after serving as a G.I. during World War II. After retiring, he was able to spend several years in New Mexico painting. He was an accomplished artist who spent his career driving up and down Route 66. As I think about attending his funeral service next week, I am reminded…
A good friend of mine recently threw a party for her father’s birthday. And this particular birthday was a big one…Her dad turned 90 this year. He is very fortunate in that he is still very active physically. Actually that is a major understatement. Over the past ten years he has climbed to the top of Diamond Head in Hawaii; taken a gondola from peak to peak in Whistler and gone whitewater rafting, both in British Columbia, Canada; gone snorkeling…
I am a pretty guarded person. I am especially guarded in what I share regarding my personal life. Part of that is a professional hazard. I stand up and speak to 600 people nearly every Sunday. I might as well paint a target across my chest. People feel free to tell me what they think at will. To be perfectly honest I speak to a group of extremely gracious people. Their comments are often very kind and supportive. But nevertheless…
In June of 1985, I took my first graduate level course in theology at Abilene Christian University. Dr. Royce Money, who was later named president for ACU, taught that course on pastoral skills for ministry leaders. I learned principles in that class that I still use today. In 1988, Dr. Charles Siburt joined The Graduate School of Theology faculty at ACU. He soon assumed responsibility for teaching ministry courses in the curriculum for graduate level students. Dr. Siburt endured me…
In various modalities of training over the years, I have been instructed not to get too involved with people and their problems. The admonition is: don’t become enmeshed with the issues of others. There are a host of reasons for such words of caution. I am fully aware that individuals in people helping professionals will suffer from burn out if they fail to erect meaningful boundaries. But there is a flipside to this issue that is not referenced as often…
Note: This is a true story, but I have changed the names to protect the privacy of those described. -John “The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing… not healing, not curing… that is a friend who cares.” -Henri Nouwen It is never a good idea to allow our first impression of someone to be the…
It is Memorial Day Weekend. It is a time to barbeque outside and make homemade ice cream. Most importantly it is a time to show respect for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in military service. I hope we have not lost sight of that purpose. This particular Memorial Day is unique for me. I interviewed for my first ministry role with a church 25 years ago this weekend. The Tenth and Broad Church of Christ in Wichita Falls, Texas…