What does quality pastoral care look like? How many pastors, priests, and deacons receive training that adequately equips them to aid healing rather than add new wounds to the emotional and spiritual lives of people in their care? As a priest’s wife and an observer by nature, I could offer a little perspective. But as someone who has experienced dire [...]
Over at LeaderWorks, we've been talking about awkward questions for church leaders. Many of them are about money (no surprise there!). Who should be able to see the giving records? How to address the pastor's compensation? What about retirement? But as I rolled out this series, I heard from a friend with another awkward question. Here's his comment: I really [...]
The sign on the trail to the falls could not have been clearer. Do not climb on the rocks, it said. The rocks are very slippery, it said. You will fall, it said. I climbed on the rocks. They were very slippery. I fell – hard. Lying a bit dazed on my back, half in and half out of the [...]
I was a burned out priest. I realized that something was really wrong when I ended up in the emergency room. I had had a "near syncope" which means I passed out without passing out. (Not sure what that means medically). Anyway, I felt weird and had tunnel vision, and was out of balance for while. Not a good feeling. They [...]
As a new priest, I am careful to follow the liturgical rubrics in the prayer book as well as those that exist as a matter of local custom: bow here, make the sign of the cross now, kneel during this part of the service, extend arms in orans for this prayer, lay hands upon the bread and cup – or [...]
As you are outwardly anointed with this holy oil, so may our heavenly Father grant you the inward anointing of the Holy Spirit. Of his great mercy, may he forgive you your sins, release you from suffering, and restore you to wholeness and strength. May he deliver you from all evil, preserve you in all goodness, and bring you to [...]
On Trinity Sunday this year, I did not have the strength to lead worship. I needed to be present with my wife and children to grieve and rest. This May brought unexpected heartbreak, a shock we were not prepared following the anticipation of new life we had entering the spring. This past March I came to Apostles on an ordinary Lenten Sunday with [...]
“What should I do? I know that if I do nothing, he’ll be dead. Yet…I know that he would not want to live his life the way the doctors are telling me. How can I let him die? And yet…how could I let him live?” And then she added: “What should I do? What would he want me to do?” [...]
So we do not lose heart. Though the outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16, ESV). In several of his books, Henri Nouwen recounts how the severely physically and mentally disabled residents of Daybreak, a L’Arche community founded by Jean Vanier, became his spiritual mentors. Nouwen saw, with the eyes [...]
