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Hearing Well and Being Heard Well
Everyone wants to be heard well, but are we as willing to hear others well? In order to understand ourselves and others, different ways to categorize people have emerged over the years such as Myers & Briggs, DISC, and Enneagram. I recently read about another way to categorize people in a book dealing with how we communicate, 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead.[1] The book describes 5 different voices with which people communicate—the Pioneer, Creative, Connector, Guardian, and Nurturer. Each voice (think communication style when I use the word voice) has positive inclinations and negative tendencies. In analyzing the book through a biblical worldview, I discovered…
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On the Anniversary of Dad’s Death
“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, “that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3). Today is the anniversary of Dad’s death. Dad was a complicated man, to say the least. Recently I was talking to a Christian brother and, essentially, said that when we die it might be said for any of us believers: “He was a Christian… and he was a mess in many ways.” We never outgrow our desperate need for Christ. Anyone who knew my dad knew he had struggles, but they also had no doubt…
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The Thanks Giving Key
A few years ago I was invited to go on an overseas mission trip. This journey was to a country on the other side of the world with a foreign culture and language, and would take almost 24 hours to get there. No doubt many of you readers have done the same, and know the planning, anticipation and excitement of such a trip. Still, it’s not unusual to have a little nagging insecurity regarding the unknowns, and that was how I was feeling. I would be traveling alone on a long leg of the trip, navigating an unfamiliar airport with a tight connection and felt a little uneasy about it.…
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WDGG? How to make GOoD Decisions!
When making decisions that can have a longterm impact on your life, it is helpful to create distinctions. I have found it of utility to look at these decisions from legal, ethical (2), and prudential distinctions (5). Furthermore, I have found it helpful to have a heuristic (i.e., a thumb-rule) to provide consistency in decision-making resolution. 0
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“I’m So Glad You Asked – The Lost Art of Redemptive Conversations”
The summer sermon series included interviews and answers to the questions submitted by our congregation. The topics ranged from human sexuality including homosexuality and sex outside of marriage; a Christian perspective on drugs and alcohol including addictions; Islam; suffering; brokenness; the impact of the Gospel on Culture; cultural engagement in new contexts to name a few. I was impressed with the courage of our pastoral leadership team to engage in these controversial topics. The presenters combined excellent biblical foundation with modeled discernment and grace which is exactly what this culture needs – respectful conversations. These were not presentations to preach against all the ills of our culture. They were, rather,…
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What’s My Purpose in Life?
A dear younger friend of mine recently posted this question on a forum: “Do you feel that you have a great mission or purpose in life? “I do feel like I’m made for something more than this, but whatever it is I can’t reach it, or find out what it is. I do feel as though I have a great purpose or mission in life—I’m sure I do!!! Why can I just not figure it out? “Was I born in the wrong time? My roommate says that I’m like a young person who thinks they were meant for more. She says hardly anyone here has a great life of purpose…
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Religious Nut or Passion Fruit?
After His Passion (1) Jesus was raised from the dead (1) by His Father, our God, to become the “first fruits” of all Christians that will be raised from the dead in the future (1 Corinthians 15:20. Romans 6:4). That is, those that have by faith accepted the gift of salvation (1) through Jesus Christ and then die go to live in spiritual bodies in a spiritual place called Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8. John 14:1-3). Then, in the future, those humans that live in Heaven will be brought back to Earth to be reintegrated with their resurrected former “soul focused” physical bodies that have been transformed (1) (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). Also, those that have accepted the…
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The Phantom of the Ages
In the 2004 movie, the Phantom of the Opera, a young girl with a beautiful voice (Christine) finds herself being cared for by an acquaintance of her father’s after her father’s and mother’s death. Also, she had a childhood sweetheart (Raoul), and they both had enjoyed hearing stories told by her father before his death. One story was of an “Angel of Music” that her father promised to send to her upon his death to watch over her, protect her, and train her voice. 0
