Featured Blog Posts – April 2011 Archive (5)

Whenever she opened the closet door, she imagined stepping into another world. It felt safe there. It was one of the few places that she ever felt safe. To most people this room would have had no appeal. The floor was covered with cracked, dirty linoleum, but she imagined a fine, plush, golden carpet. The air was filled with dust and the smell of moth balls, but she imagined spring flowers and fresh air. The walls were made of a pale, pink plaster which was cracked and peeling. But…

It Seems To Me . . .

. . we need 36 plus 1!

Like many of you, I receive dozens of e-newsletters. Not because I like to brag about how many emails I get in a day, but in order to keep current with the fresh thought and best practices of Christian leadership. E-newsletters from prayer leaders (of course), vision-casters, leadership-trainers, writers, thinkers, and doers . . . revealing how the Holy Spirit continues to inspire and instruct and even redirect…

Recently I was visiting a Bible Study and the topic for the evening was prayer.  As participants were discussing prayer, success stories of answered prayers, hindrances to a more effective prayer life I became increasingly disturbed and saddened. 

I was disturbed because of the realization that you could have cut and pasted the words  “texting” or “toasters” for the word prayer in the discussion and it would have made perfect sense.  “Texting” is an inanimate activity we…

may NOT BE racism, sexism, denominational-ism, doctrinal differences, and etc. It may be the division between the "watchmen" and "gatekeepers."

Old Testament walled cities had massive gates, with gatekeepers; and watchtowers on either side of the gates, with watchmen. The purpose of the watchmen, not surprisingly, was to watch. The purpose of the gatekeepers, was to open and close the gate. The problem? The gatekeeper couldn't see over the wall and the watchmen couldn't open…

Tonight at dinner at the Quad-Cities Christian Writers Conference (Eldridge, Iowa), I heard a neat idea for church or group prayer that I think both honors the God who knows our hearts and also encourages people to pray who would normally not participate in any group or public prayer setting.

The church we were discussing had a practice, during their weekly worship service, of having a time for prayer in which they invited the congregation to come forward and simply name someone for…