What do you like most about church, synagogue, or mosque?

Share your answers in the comments below.

I contributed the following article on Aimee Semple McPherson to the American National Biography.
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McPherson, Aimee Elizabeth Semple (9 October 1890-27 September 1944), evangelist and founder of The Church of the Foursquare Gospel, was born in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, the daughter of James Morgan Kennedy, Methodist farmer, and Mildred “Minnie” Pearce, Salvation Army volunteer.

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As a pastor, as a seminary professor, as a leader in a variety of positions, I have tried to be transparent and honest about the doubts, questions and uncertainties which are part of my faith. Having spent decades living according to this philosophy of ministry, I am not sure that it is the best approach.

As I was teaching this semester there were three specific issues about which I pointed out the various positions that theologians take and admitted to being uncertain as to which was the correct position. The results were that one student accused me of being uninformed, one of being a postmodernist, and one of denying the sufficiency of Scripture. The truth of the matter is that I was much more informed than the authority quoted by the first student, that I am about as far from being a postmodernist as they come, and I am a champion of the belief in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

Those are just three examples of many that I could offer in which I have observed how honesty and transparency has resulted in diminished ability to lead. It seems that parishioners and students want leaders with answers only, NOT QUESTIONS.

In the small booklet What Is Truth, Ravi Zacharias shares the following story;

I was at an airport looking for my departure gate, and I noticed that the flight listed was to another city. So I asked a passenger if that flight was headed to Atlanta or elsewhere. She promptly answered my question and told me the notation was wrong. As I thanked her and turned to find a seat, she said, “Are you Ravi Zacharias?” I answered yes. Then came this utterly surprising response: “I listen to you on the radio regularly. I didn’t know you had questions as well.” I laughed at her compliment and assured her that I had several questions, especially if I want to get to the right destination.

There are so many answers out there and a question to every answer. To ask them is to engage with information. To ask questions about life’s ultimate questions is to be in the pursuit of God.

I would be interested in hearing some of your stories in which you, like Paul, have been honest in presenting yourself as one who has not yet arrived, yet maintained your leadership influence. Anyone?

What is the best audio recording of Amazing Grace? This week I was at a party for my brother-in-law in which each of the guests had contributed a favorite song for a compilation CD. One of those attending had selected Elvis’ recording of Amazing Grace. They explained, “Everyone knows it is the best recording of Amazing Grace, ever.” Really? This particular “everyone” doesn’t know that. I like Elvis, but am not particularly fond of his rendition of Amazing Grace.

So, my question is, which is the best recording of Amazing Grace ever?

Here are some of those that I know of. Feel free to contribute others in the comment area below.

101 Strings Orchestra
Tori Amos
Chet Atkins
Joan Baez
Batmobile
The Beat Daddys
Elmer Bernstein
Blind Boys of Alabama
Pat Boone
Boys II Men
Shirley Caesar
Glen Campbell
Johnny Cash
Cecilia
Charley Daniels Band
Cherry Bomb Club
Cincinnati Pops
Charlotte Church
Judy Collins
Crazy Cat George
Dave Matthews Band
The David Rose Orchestra
Ani DeFranco
Phil Driscoll
Esteban
Faith Evans
Fats Domino
Scott Fitzgerald
Aretha Franklin
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
The Gatlin Brothers
George Gershwin
Mickey Gilley
Al Green
Arlo Guthrie
Merl Haggard
Jimmy Hendrix
Whitney Houston
Mahalia Jackson
Sonny James
George Jones
Janis Joplin
Jordanaires
K.C. & The Sunshine Band
Krystal
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Christy Lane
Leadbelly
Meadowlark Lemon
The Lemonheads
Loretta Lynn
Blind Willie McTell
Herbie Mann
Glenn Miller
Drop Kick Murphy
Anne Murray
Jim Neighbors
Willie Nelson
The Neville Brothers
Oak Ridge Boys
Original Drifters
Patti Page
Twila Paris
Vicki Philips
Pras-Ghetto
Elvis Presley
Ray Prices
Boots Randolph
Lou Rawls
Charlie Rich
LeAnn Rimes
Diana Ross
Pete Seeger
Seven Nations
Shanon
Robert Shaw Festival Singers
Paul Simon
Tommy Smith
Ray Stevens
Rod Stewart
Supastar Mantovani
B.J. Thomas
Randy Travis
Tsa’ Ne Dose
Ike & Tina Turner
Conway Twitty
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Voices of Watts
The Von Trapp Children
The Weavers
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lawrence Welk
Andy Williams
Victor Wooten
Glen Yarbrough

Okay, there are a few for you to consider. Amazon lists 3,213 Mp3 downloads for “Amazing Grace” so I am sure this list is just the top of the iceberg. Which is your favorite?

I plead guilty. Like most preachers I don’t do as good a job as I could of keeping my family’s life private. My wife and kids appear as characters in far too many of my sermon illustrations (and blog posts). It is tough enough to live in a glass house without your husband / father exposing you further. I heard one pastor say that he always asks his family members for permission before including them in a narrative. That is probably good advice.

And, now for those of you who just don’t get it, here is an educational video:

A recent article in Leadership Journal was entitled “Serving Is Believing”. Is it? The results coming out of the Reveal study conducted in hundreds of churches by Willow Creek seem to indicate that people who are serving are also those who are closest to God, so much emphasis is being given to getting people serving. Serving must be the better way.

Service talk is everywhere.

And yet, we have the story of Jesus’ interactions with Mary and Martha in Luke 10:

38Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

If we spend our time teaching the Bible, teaching about the life of Christ, are we simply filling people with useless head knowledge? I don’t think so.

Planning another big event at your church will probably make your people more active and bring in more people, but is it really what is best for your church? Consider the following paragraph from W. R. Greg’s Life at High Pressure.

Beyond doubt, the most salient characteristic of life in this latter portion of the 19th century is its SPEED, — what we may call its hurry, the rate at which we move, the high-pressure at which we work;– and the question to be considered is, first, whether this rapid rate is in itself a good; and, next, whether it is worth the price we pay for it–a price rarely reckoned up, and not very easy thoroughly to ascertain. Unquestionably, life seems fuller and longer for this speed–is it truly ricer and more effective? No doubt we can do more in our seventy years for the pace at which we travel; but are the extra things we can do always worth doing? No doubt, we can do more; but is “doing” everything, and “being” nothing.

That was written in the 19th century. How much more might it apply in the 21st century?

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“The biweekly attendance at worship services is, by believers’ own admission, generally the only time they worship God.”"Eight out of every ten believers do not feel they have entered into the presence of God, or experienced a connection with Him, during the worship service.”

“Half of all believers say they do not feel they have entered into the presence of God or experienced a genuine connection with Him during the past year.”

[Taken from the book Revolution by George Barna. (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2005), pages 31-32]

Over the last few weeks I have had several conversations with people about becoming a writer. Well, not so much about becoming a writer as thinking of oneself as a writer. Many of you are writers, so I ask you, “When did you begin to think of yourself as a writer? When did writer become part of your self-description?”

For me the transition to thinking of myself as a writer took place in by early teen years. Read more

Don’t waste your time on Revolution. I ordered it in for our library based upon the recommendation of a friend, but now regret that we spent money on this book.

Briefly, here are my problems with it. Read more