MLK’s Theology of Work
When Martin Luther King day rolls around, I try to remind myself of MLK Jr's message, courage, and impact. Usually I head for a copy of the Letter from a Birmingham Jail. You can get a sense of the background of the letter (5:39) and even listen to King read the...
The Soul As Wild Animal
We are looking forward to the launch of the 2022 cohort of our Flourish Collective Academy. Each year, a new crop of congregational leaders come together to develop leadership capacities. As I prepare to tailor our content to the unique situation and makeup of this...
Redemptive Scrooge
We are fans of the good folk over at the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity. Founded by John Stott and friends, they have been working to help "Christians on the frontline to develop the wisdom and practices that can help us all live fruitfully for Christ...
Weekend Reader – Metaverse
There are several email newsletters that I subscribe to for a thoughtful reflection on culture. One of these is a resource called The Weekend Reader by Max Anderson. We had a chance to meet at some wonderful meetings in Brooklyn a few years back. It was a gathering of...
Church Planting with Resilience
This week has been full of energy and excitement for those who long to see new church startups in town. This past Thurs, the San Diego Church Planting Movement (SDCPM) hosted lunches across San Diego County in an effort to provide encouragement and support for pastors...
Your Work Is Not In Vain
Our friend, author and Academy instructor, Jessica Thompson was teaching the Restoration portion of our The Big Story course. As she shared with us the importance of knowing how the story ends, I was reminded of the hope we have in Christ. Not just a hope for the...
Gifted for More
I don’t like spiritual gifts. Perhaps I should say I don’t like “spiritual” gifts where “spiritual” is limited to certain kinds of gifts that God gives us to use in “spiritual” places. This kind of language prevents us from seeing other abilities, skills, and or...
Resilience 101
Our friends over at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology have been working to offer their expertise around resilience to wider audiences. We're grateful to offer a four-week small group discussion around the ideas and practices that can help those of us worn...
Workism Doesn’t Work
Work as worship. Admittedly, this can be an odd thought, especially if you have tended to equate work with God's judgment upon people. If you've journeyed with us, you know we think of work as a good thing... a great way of talking about what we were created to do....