A couple of weeks ago I talked about Christ-centred differentiation in a sermon. It’s a hard but crucial concept to understand. In fact, it’s one of the most important concepts I’ve ever learned. And no one does a better job of describing it than Edwin Friedman. Here’s how he defines it: Differentiation means the capacity…
After months of waiting and wondering I received a letter today. While I was preparing my application (back in the fall) I found reading successful PhD applicants’ Statements of Intent very helpful. Here’s what I wrote to the TST Admissions Committee: TST Statement of Intent – Jason Mills If my denominational colleges are any indication of…
One of the most important seasons in the life of a church takes place during pastoral transition. Roger Nicholson’s helpful book, Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry provides and excellent overview of the important tasks congregations should implement on their way from pastoral departure to calling a new leader. Here’s a summary of…
Yesterday I preached on 1 Timothy 2. If you’re not familiar with this portion of Paul’s writings, there’s a part there that calls women to not speak or have authority over their male counterparts (1 Tim. 2:12). It’s bad teaching to interpret this text literally. Here’s part of the story that’s often untold: 1. Instability…
An egalitarian perspective on 1 Timothy 2:12.
Last week I listened to a CBC Ideas episode called The Truth about “Post-Truth”. As I listened, I thought about church. The host was interviewing Jason Stanley, Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. The whole 54:00 is worth hearing but in case you don’t have time, here’s what grabbed my attention: (Around 22:50) “A liberal democratic society…
When I’m functioning at my best I trust my gut. That means having a sense about something that others might not understand. It’s helpful when I’m in places where I have to make choices. By far, the most difficult context of gut-wrenching and gut-testing, is in the wilderness. I’ve spent my fair share of time…
I listened to a Carey Nieuwhof podcast today. He interviewed an entrepreneur named Jared Hogue. Jared uttered five small words that moved me: Just Start and Stay Faithful. This blog post is the fruit of that statement. So, if anyone is out there. And interested. This is my start. Pray that I stay faithful. Here’s…
I spent the morning with our pastoral team. It was our first focused planning session since last spring. We looked at our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was an interesting exercise. I think we’re still in the transition phase. We’re near the end but we’re not quite through it. Between 2008 and 2013…
Satan. The devil. The ancient serpent. The dragon. The adversary. The accuser. The opposer. The ruler of the kingdom of the air. The father of lies. Sometimes he comes near to me. I don’t like it. Last Thursday was one of those dark and lonely days. I find that he closes in when spiritual breakthroughs…