Pastors should go to Israel

I read Wayne Stiles' website frequently.



He has a current post about "Why You Should Send Your Pastor to Israel"

You should read his entire post - but his summary bullet points include the fact that the Pastor's tour will:   (1) give him what his seminary didn’t.  (2) increase her clarity in preaching.  And (3) deepen her or his walk with God as a spiritual leader.

I agree.

While it's nearly too late for anyone to sign up for "my" January 2014 trip let me encourage lay persons to read Stile's website link provided -  where he also outlines "How You Can Send Your Pastor to Israel"

I'm convinced people who experience Israel come back transformed for the best Christian reasons!

Find a way to send your pastor - or travel as a pastor - for Christian reasons, not just tourism - that will enliven your faith and the faith of your congregation or ministry!

Registered Peacemaker - Conscientious Objector Church of the Nazarene

Several years ago, I became aware that there was a specific process whereby I had to register with my Christian denomination to be "on file" as a Conscientious Objector to War.  While I completed that process some time ago, I had to check on my status recently and discovered that a portion of my "file" was not complete.

I took care of that business the other day.

I share here the picture of my documents - that in another way in my life register me as a Peacemaker!

And, since the Church of the Nazarene does not have the filing paperwork publicly available on the denominational website. I want to share it here in PDF file for any who want to consider their own registration.

University Professor Work

This infographic shows why I feel blessed to already be a professor with rank and experience - and - why I caution young people to be thoughtful, wise stewards of their education if they want to go to graduate school!


Source: Online-PhD-Programs.org

A Big Heart Open to God - the Pope in 2013

In my opinion, the Pope is doing and saying "all" the right things!

A long interview posted today - and a few great quotes include:

"The church has sometimes locked itself up in small things," the pope said, "in small-minded rules." 

"The people of God want pastors," Francis continued, "not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials." 

"But the ‘concrete’ God, so to speak, is today. For this reason, complaining never helps us find God." 

A full read of the entire interview is a must for thoughtful people - and certainly for Christian persons both Protestant & Catholic.
 
More here: http://www.americamagazine.org/pope-interview

The Little Space-Craft That Could

Armed with a computer that is billions of times slower than our smart phones, while recording on 8-track tape with technology 35 years old the Voyager 1 Spacecraft is still offering us new data into our HUGE universe.

The article reminds me of many things:  (1) How big our universe it and how long it takes us to explore little strands of it.  And, (2) the leaps and bounds of our technology in the past few decades.

Amazing Creation filled with amazing ingenuity.

Summer Reading - and Life's Hurt

I didn't read as much this summer as I typically do.

I read more books than this one, but this is all I have time to share now.

The one book I read and re-read this summer is HURT:  Inside the World of Today's Teenager.

It was not an academic exercise for me, and was deeply personal.

The title's first word characterizes too much of my feeling.