http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/ Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:37:20 GMT en-us Copyright 2011 Morning Walk Media http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/flash-mob/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/flash-mob/ Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:37:15 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/abuse-by-cell-phone/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/abuse-by-cell-phone/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:26:20 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/a-pastors-painful-question/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/a-pastors-painful-question/ Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:11:11 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/now-heres-a-juxtaposition/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/now-heres-a-juxtaposition/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:09:10 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/give-me-that-can-do-spirit/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/give-me-that-can-do-spirit/ Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:06:45 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/making-a-to-do-list/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/making-a-to-do-list/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:02:28 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/no-owners-manual/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/no-owners-manual/ Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:01:08 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/country-hymns/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/country-hymns/ Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:37:54 GMT www.pandora.com, an Internet radio service, you can use their genre list to create a station called “Traditional Country Hymns.”And then you, too, can “sit” (virtually) in a simple country church and sing “How Great Thou Art” and “Old Rugged Cross” and “Love Lifted Me.”I know my colonial ancestors were Puritans and Baptists, then 19th Century Presbyterians and 20th Century Episcopalians. But somewhere along the line, someone must have acquired a gene that thrills to country hymns and gospel music. And now that gene passes to me. The first time I heard a country hymn, it was as if I had known it forever. Same with the gospel music I am singing now in a church choir. I love the simplicity, the leaning on Jesus' arms, the rock-of-ages confidence in a God who has a face, a voice, hands to hold, and a never-ending love. Words like “trust and obey” make sense. So does Hank Williams singing “Praise the Lord, I saw the light.” And banjo great Dr. Ralph Stanley playing “This Little Light.”These are songs of troubles, empty places, being lost in sin, feeling alone -- and how Jesus calls us "softly and tenderly" and carries his people to more than they could otherwise be. This music reminds me who I am and why I believe. FAITH Q & A Q: Do you think religion and church attendance is a positive factor in one's morality, has no factor, or even possibly can be a negative factor? A: Perplexing, isn't it? Some of the great scoundrels of human history have spent Sundays in church. You wonder if they heard a word being preached or understood any of those hymns as pertaining to them. Every Sunday – and every religious day in other traditions – men and women say their prayers and receive their sacraments, and then go home to thievery, beating their children, cheating their neighbors, and selling their souls.I doubt that religion causes their sins, except possibly sins of pride. But it does seem powerless to stem the tide of sin – until that moment when the world's ways no longer comfort the sinner in the night or put fears to rest. And then the Gospel makes a new sense. hat's why preachers preach basically the same sermon every Sunday. One day, someone will hear it, and everything will change for them.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/start-your-engines/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/start-your-engines/ Wed, 25 May 2011 21:28:33 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/family-dinner/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/family-dinner/ Mon, 23 May 2011 21:15:15 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/planning-beyond-may-21/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/planning-beyond-may-21/ Fri, 20 May 2011 11:15:17 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/kindness-at-brighton-beach/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/kindness-at-brighton-beach/ Mon, 09 May 2011 22:04:24 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seminary-commencement----what-to-say/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seminary-commencement----what-to-say/ Wed, 04 May 2011 21:52:41 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/as-to-killing-bin-laden-and-celebrating-it/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/as-to-killing-bin-laden-and-celebrating-it/ Tue, 03 May 2011 21:06:08 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/still-in-church-of-childhood/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/still-in-church-of-childhood/ Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:26:01 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/moment-of-truth/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/moment-of-truth/ Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:51:12 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/variety-and-more-variety/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/variety-and-more-variety/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:52:04 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/improvement-not-perfection/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/improvement-not-perfection/ Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:00:24 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/people-helping-each-other/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/people-helping-each-other/ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:48:54 GMT Click this link.   FAITH Q & A Q: Why do we not update our religious language? A: Good question, one that people have been asking for centuries. Why not translate the Bible into languages people actually speak? Why not worship in the common tongue? When I was in seminary, the question was male language for God. Others have found mainline worship to be carrying overtones of a colonial past. African-American Christians have insisted on sung and spoken word that arises from their unique experience. Many Pentecostals want to seek the prayer language known as "tongues." In time, religious language does change dramatically. And continually. But rarely without a struggle, and not always fast enough for some people. Anthropomorphic language for God strikes some people as offensive. Ancient images like Lamb and Son of Man seem like relics to some. Stories that involve angels and miracles strike some as absurd. Religious language can't be forced. Symbols come and go, and once they lose their vitality, they rarely get it back. People have been searching for decades for modern ways to describe Christian life, – family, flock, community, body, church, congregation. Some work, and then they stop working. To some extent, we get in our own way. People develop a fondness for certain images and don't want to let them go. Language is not only familiar, but is a shorthand for saying what seems difficult to say. We also find a certain power or place in language about God. Calling God "Father" or "Mother" isn't a small matter to some people. A larger factor, I think, is that God has deliberately given us diversity of belief and expression. Maybe to confuse us, as it suggests in Genesis, but maybe to keep us humble.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/free-is-better/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/free-is-better/ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:29:06 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/thanks-for-customer-service/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/thanks-for-customer-service/ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:43:55 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/marketplace-language/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/marketplace-language/ Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:37:46 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/the-joy-of-friendship/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/the-joy-of-friendship/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:28:17 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/go-ahead-re-invent-the-wheel/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/go-ahead-re-invent-the-wheel/ Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:01:46 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/new-social-networks/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/new-social-networks/ Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:06:54 GMT http://churchwellnessreport.ning.com/?xgi=4j34siA4ZVzae8. To join the Daily Meditations network, just subscribe to On a Journey at http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/subscribe/, and I will invite you.) In these networks, people can read the latest postings, discuss them with other readers, and ask questions. More will come as I learn the tools. The technology is fascinating, the opportunities seem boundless. I'll be interested to see how readers respond.   FAITH Q & A Q: If Jesus actually said Matthew 19.21, "Jesus said unto him. If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me", how can the Catholic Church with its Vatican wealth, Saint Bart's with its Park Avenue real estate, or Franklin Graham with his $ million plus annual salary be called Christian? A: Being called "Christian" isn't a prize we win for virtuous behavior. It is a statement of our self-identity as followers of Jesus Christ. Some follow more assiduously than others. Some get everything "right," some get hardly anything "right." This frustrates many church people, who want to be in the business of deciding who gets to use the word. They want to set standards, require sacraments, deny all who fall short. But that wasn't Jesus' way. He loved all, even his enemies. We all stand humbly beneath that umbrella, not one of us perfect, not one of us having satisfied every religious requirement, but all of us loved by God.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/getting-the-right-focus/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/getting-the-right-focus/ Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:46:51 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/butler-vs-connecticut/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/butler-vs-connecticut/ Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:08:56 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/change-yes-or-no/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/change-yes-or-no/ Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:20:22 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/no-more-boring/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/no-more-boring/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:57:53 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/two-essential-res-respect-and-relationship/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/two-essential-res-respect-and-relationship/ Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:16:00 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/some-sang-some-served-in-other-ways/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/some-sang-some-served-in-other-ways/ Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:10:26 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/listen-up----wow-arent-we-something/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/listen-up----wow-arent-we-something/ Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:10:26 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seeing-god-late-in-the-day/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seeing-god-late-in-the-day/ Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:39:18 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/why-do-we-keep-god-small/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/why-do-we-keep-god-small/ Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:06:26 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/questioning-assumptions/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/questioning-assumptions/ Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:57:49 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/jesus-an-ipad-guy/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/jesus-an-ipad-guy/ Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:22:12 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/nuclear-disaster/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/nuclear-disaster/ Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:36:14 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/question-about-mary/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/question-about-mary/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:35:25 GMT Click here to register for the 2:00pm event.   FAITH Q & A Q: How do you reconcile the Christian Church's continued celebration of Jesus' birth of a virgin with the likelihood that this was the result of a mistranslation or semantic misunderstanding in the early days of the church? Don't you think that this is the kind of myth which, when stated as fundamental truth demonstrating the Godliness of Jesus, undermines the credibility of the faith as a whole? A: I think the veneration of Mary matters greatly to some people and not much to others. The point, in either case, is to understand Jesus. To some, the Virgin Birth demonstrates the divinity of Jesus; indeed, it breaks the cycle of original sin begun in Adam. To others, the divinity of Jesus has little to do with his origins and more to do with how he lived, died and rose again. His birth, by that view, is a non-essential detail. The credibility of the Christian faith never arises from doctrine or creed. It always arises from the ways that Christians live. If venerating Mary helps some to live holy lives, then fine. If it makes them feel smug and behave arrogantly, then not fine. A decent and loving Christian might dispute every doctrine, every detail of the creed, but if they are proclaiming Jesus by doing good and loving mercy in his name, then all is well.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/webinar-on-turnaround-strategies/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/webinar-on-turnaround-strategies/ Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:40:07 GMT Click here to register I have been collaborating with Presbyterian Outlook for a while now and have great respect for their ministry as a progressive voice within the Presbyterian Church. They are asking the tough questions about where mainline churches need to be going.   FAITH Q & A Q: What is meant by the term "The Human Condition"? A: I take it to mean the state or experiences of being human in a particular context. It goes deeper than gender, race or other such factors. It states what it means to be alive in that context at that time. How we see the human condition is shaped by our gender, race, or such, but the idea of a "human condition" is that there is something innate in being human that cuts across the categories and divisions. One might say that Jesus responded to this condition, rather than to the categories valued by his tradition, which is why he healed, welcome, fed and loved without boundaries. When we impose categories and argue about whether God loves this or that sort, we are failing to see as God sees.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/church-killers-no-not-at-all/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/church-killers-no-not-at-all/ Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:38:54 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/discuss-everything-even-sacred-cows/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/discuss-everything-even-sacred-cows/ Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:40:56 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/talking-shop/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/talking-shop/ Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:05:59 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/people-behaved-well/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/people-behaved-well/ Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:30:13 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/unions-matter/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/unions-matter/ Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:06:28 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/bold-vs-fearful/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/bold-vs-fearful/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:52:07 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/broader-meaning-of-community/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/broader-meaning-of-community/ Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:28:24 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/surprise-discovering-gospel-music/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/surprise-discovering-gospel-music/ Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:46:16 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/the-joy-of-having-a-future/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/the-joy-of-having-a-future/ Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:49:32 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/weekly-miracle-unfolds/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/weekly-miracle-unfolds/ Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:31:45 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/learning-from-egypt/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/learning-from-egypt/ Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:06:42 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/responding-to-deprivation/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/responding-to-deprivation/ Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:07:31 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/opinion/08herbert.html?emc=eta1 I plan to write about this in my Weekly Essay on Saturday. The Christian community must respond. We come in many persuasions -- Republican and Democratic, conservative and liberal, worried about current conditions and not worried -- but I hope we can rise above political and ideological divisions and feel sympathetic for those feeling pain. When people around us, among us, and indeed we ourselves are suffering -- mortgages defauilting, bills going unpaid, pensions evaporating, hope dwindling, skills going unused, pride crumbling, trust in community shattered -- our call is to care. In practical and meaningful ways, to care for the many -- Herbert thinks a majority -- who are falling permanently behind. This is our moment to stop fussing over right-opinion and to do what Jesus clearly would do: care, act, make things better.   FAITH Q & A Q: How do we carry a lamp into the darkness when most people in America today don't trust any source of light? Every time I try to imagine "the message" I immediately hear the objections in my head that are sure to come. A: You can expect resistance. The darkness won't stand down without a fight. Resistance will come in many forms and from all quarters, including people you think should be predisposed to receive the light. Your task is to shine, not to control their response. Your charge is to be bold and resolute, not to shrink from confrontation. You will need the support of prayer and of a faith community. That faith community will need to include people who understand the challenge of shining light in the darkness and value it above safety and comfort.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/wonderful-weekend-in-houston/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/wonderful-weekend-in-houston/ Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:28:24 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/people-are-okay/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/people-are-okay/ Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:58:05 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seeing-it-all-at-a-walking-pace/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seeing-it-all-at-a-walking-pace/ Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:22:32 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/moving-boxes-and-gods-kindness/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/moving-boxes-and-gods-kindness/ Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:55:32 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/life-can-be-difficult/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/life-can-be-difficult/ Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:39:40 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/playing-fields/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/playing-fields/ Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:25:33 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/why-werent-the-jets-prepared/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/why-werent-the-jets-prepared/ Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:35:18 GMT Click here to ask your question.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/what-does-success-mean/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/what-does-success-mean/ Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:44:57 GMT Click here to subscribe to any of these.   FAITH Q & A Q: Do you think the majority of religious people are more tolerant than the minority of outspoken ones? A: People always surprise me. But in general, my sense is that most people are tolerant most of the time and about most things, but that we each have at least one “button” that life can push and suddenly intolerance erupts. “Women drivers!” “Another male jerk!” “Can't get into the airport because of some fool Arabs!” “Welfare queen – get a job!” Such intolerance explodes under pressure. I doubt that it leads to intentional behavior, like a campaign to limit driving privileges. But it can lead to accepting the more aggressive intolerance of others. This is especially true when stressors such as job loss occur, and the person looks for a scapegoat to ease negative feelings. Demagogues have a genius for harvesting such outbursts of intolerance and turning them into extended campaigns. One role of a faith community is to help people deal with their stressors and negative feelings, so that they aren't as vulnerable to being exploited by demagogues. Unfortunately, congregations often wage their own battles over change and power by resorting to intolerance.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/speaking-candidly/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/speaking-candidly/ Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:15:51 GMT http://www.ecfvp.org/. You might need to register to see the VP Talks dialog, but it's free. As you will see, I decided to be candid. The situation is too urgent, too important, for anything less. Too many congregations are in danger of dying, and except for a few, they don't want to die. They want to live and make a difference. Too many larger churches have funds to survive but aren't fulfilling their reasons for being. They, too, want to live and to make a difference. Refocusing vestry efforts is only part of the work to be done. But it's critical, because if leaders aren't leading effectively, it's difficult for the enterprise to move forward. I'm interested in your thoughts.   FAITH Q & A Q: Why was Jesus so hard on the Pharisees? A: Probably the same reason he was so hard on Simon Peter. These were upright religious leaders who should have known better. Their religiosity was getting in the way; they had turned away from the Messianic nature of Judaism. They were on obstacle, just as Peter was an obstacle, though for different reasons. "Obstacle" doesn't mean "enemy." It's the theme Kazantzakis explored in "The Last Temptation of Christ." What if Jesus had been tempted to go along with the take-it-easy appeals or convenient pieties of those around him? We're back at the testing of Jesus in the wilderness. It's the friend who says, "Don't rock the boat," who is more likely to send us astray than the enemy who's trying to stop us.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/how-many-gospels/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/how-many-gospels/ Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:55:25 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/promo-promo-meat/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/promo-promo-meat/ Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:08:10 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/radio-as-a-metaphor-for-faith/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/radio-as-a-metaphor-for-faith/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:14:25 GMT http://www.pandora.com/) and Slacker (http://www.slacker.com/) On those services, you choose the type of music you want. In Pandora you can click “thumbs down” to indicate a piece you don't like. Pandora learns your preferences. In other words, you have total control. Every now and then, I tune in WQXR-FM – radio as radio used to be – with a radio employee choosing what I hear. I am always surprised, not always pleased, but willing to endure Stravinsky in order to get Handel. In a way, both radio formats are metaphors for faith. At times, we have control: over what we say to God, over our ethical choices, over where we serve. At other times, we need God to be total surprise, playing for us, if you will, “music” that we wouldn't have chosen on our own. As always, faith is a matter of balance. FAITH Q & A Q: Our understanding of the Trinity is that Jesus was (is) God in the flesh.  That being the case, wouldn't he have known the end times weren't imminent?  Perhaps it was the Gospel writers, not Jesus, who believed this. A: Tough question for a venue where brevity is required. Without wanting to make the complex simplistic, I would say this: Jesus seemed to discover his Messiahship along the way, perhaps as late as the night before he died, in the Garden of Gethsemane. His understanding of God's intention seems to have been incomplete, as well. He firmly expected the end-time to come within months or years of his death, certainly within the lifetime of his followers. Does the actual outcome disprove his Messiahship? No, as I see it, he was God's Anointed not because he had perfect wisdom, perfect foresight or even a perfect life, but because God chose him. He didn't earn his status as God's only son, as the Gospel narrative put it. He was God's Son because that was the way God wanted it to be.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/politics-of-vitriol/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/politics-of-vitriol/ Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:41:08 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/plain-talk/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/plain-talk/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:24:52 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/id-like-that-hour-back/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/id-like-that-hour-back/ Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:06:00 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/new-year-new-journal/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/new-year-new-journal/ Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:52:03 GMT ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/toe-tapping-music/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/toe-tapping-music/ Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:43:05 GMT Daily Meditation: “Mastering Fears” Drawing on a personal experience, I wrote how Jesus gave us courage and urged us not to be afraid. Professional Edition: “Making Better Decisions” I drew on an article in Harvard Business Review about examining the process of making decisions in order to get better at decision-making. Click here to subscribe.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/hopeful-tone-for-christmas/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/hopeful-tone-for-christmas/ Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:44:48 GMT Even so, it is lovely to have everything covered in white and to see dads and kids heading off to Central Park with sleds.  As a longtime church worker, I was glad the snow waited for St. Stephen's Day. That meant Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services could proceed without disruption. Congregations work so hard to plan and execute those services. It certainly meant a lot to me that my family occupied an entire pew for a “Jazz & Gospel” service, at which I sang in the Gospel Choir. I thought the four-man jazz combo – soprano sax, bass, piano and drums – was just right for Christmas Eve. Up-tempo and yet mellow, almost melancholy, thanks to the oboe-like sax. When we bounced, we bounced big, and when it was time for “Silent Night” and candles held aloft, the hopeful tone of soft piano, delicate sax and light brushes on the drums was perfect.   FAITH Q & A Q: I thought about how the church has made Christmas into a joyous celebration of the birth of Jesus, with all the miracles of that story attached, when instead it should be, in my opinion, the annual re-acknowledgment of the birth of awareness of the Christ potential that is in all of us. What might you say about this thinking? A: I think Christmas was about the birth of Jesus. Where we take the Incarnation is up to us. Focus on the historical figure, or focus on the hero of the Church, or focus on philosophical meaning – there is more than one way to respond to Jesus. The challenge for all of us to allow other people to take a different path from our own, and to recognize that no one path has all truth. I might not resonate at all with the concept of seeing, as you put it, “the Christ potential in all of us.” But I respect that this concept has meaning for you and can imagine it having a seed of truth for me. ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/finally-back-on-schedule/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/finally-back-on-schedule/ Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:26:45 GMT But I just sent a “Professional Edition” on seeing “touches,” as opposed to “members,” and seeking multiple tools for nurturing “touches.” Tomorrow comes “Multichannel Church Report,” and on Thursday a special issue of “Church Wellness Report” tied to Christmas. My daily rhythm is this: In the early morning, I write a meditation or weekend essay. That is my faith-building time, when I seek God in daily life and try to understand where God is calling me. Later in the day, I write my nationally syndicated newspaper column on Monday, and then the three newsletters outlined above. This is when I try to use my experience and research to help others, especially church leaders. This rhythm seems to work. I find it fulfilling. I am grateful to you for wanting to read these pieces.   Faith Q & A Q: How would you advise a novice to learn to meditate? How in this world of words, TV, radio & other daily distractions can we learn to hear the voice in stillness? A: This is the work of a lifetime, of course. Filtering out the noise and sitting in stillness with God is as difficult as anything we do. First step, then, is to be patient, especially with yourself. You will try and not get it, then try and get it, then lose it again. Just be patient. Second step: learn to sit quietly. Turn off as many outside distractions as you can. Just relax and sit in silence. Don't fill the silence with the noise of your earnest intentions. Just sit. If you fall asleep, that's what you needed to do. Third step: Learn to relax your body. Of the many techniques for doing this, the one I like best is just working my way from toe to head, relaxing one muscle group at a time. Fourth step: Learn to listen. Let yourself relax into whatever images or words come into your silence. Don't press it. Just be a receptor. Fifth step: Do it again. Give God plenty of silence to enter. Click here to send your question.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/christmas-rhythms/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/christmas-rhythms/ Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:26:54 GMT Next come our middle son and his fiancee, last-minute shopping, tree and music warming our home, Christmas Eve worship across Central Park, and Christmas Day at home.  Details have changed every year, and the setting in 2010 (NYC apartment) is a long way from a farm house in central Indiana. But the heart of it remains family, home, and gratitude.  Every year, I seem to be tired when this final week commences. But I know that the whole of creation was weary when Jesus came, and God was faithful then.    Faith Q & A Q: Why does the Christian Church concentrate so much on the specifics of Jesus' life, and so little on his message about how to live life?  A: His life was his message. Yes, he also taught, told parables, left a few sayings. But his compassion on the hungry and his act of feeding said as much as any teaching. His silence before his accusers was beyond words. He went -- to the wilderness, around the countryside, across borders, and into danger -- and that became his message to us. You go, too, you go to the hard places, you go to suffering, you go to outcasts, you go to the seat of power. He said nothing about creating an institution, formulating dogma, crafting liturgies, developing hierarchies of power. That was our doing. What Jesus did -- the specifics of his life -- would change the world if we dared to emulate them.  Click here to send your question. ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/getting-back-on-the-grid/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/getting-back-on-the-grid/ Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:35:22 GMT I'm just now catching up: sending "Professional Edition" two days late, other newsletters to come; finally tending to customer service requests going back a week.  Monday -- that's the day I'll be caught up.  While away, I received dozens of e-mails from readers, many saying they, too, had walked the road with ailing parents. I was grateful for those expressions of concern. It's good to know one is cared for.  Except perhaps for young children with big eyes, Christmas is rarely a simple or unambiguous season. It finds many feeling stressed, downcast, lonely, broke -- as well as excited and optimistic. This is a time to listen first.    Faith Q & A Q: Do you really think that all the stories about Jesus' birth really happened and only their order and place might be mixed up?  Why can't Christians just acknowledge that we cannot know anything factual about these events, and most likely they are stories made up to give Jesus' life meaning and importance to their readers? A: I'm reminded of a concept called "limit language," which is the language we use when we want to talk about something that goes beyond the limit of human words. Human love, for example, defies literal language, so we say love is a rose, an arrow through the heart, a song. Even more does God's reality defy our language. So we talk about God as a rock, a father, a spirit hovering like a bird, a king ready for battle. The birth of Jesus opens the door wide to limit language. The point of Luke 2 and Matthew 1 isn't literal fact, but the depth of meaning that believers see in Jesus' coming. It was like a light shining in the darkness, a heavenly choir of angels, a humbling of kings, a baby's cry on the margins, a star stopping in the sky.  People cling to the stories because what lies beyond them is such an inspiring moment, one that can't be talked about any other way.  Click here to send your question. ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/virtual-community-is-real/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/virtual-community-is-real/ Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:43:28 GMT I wouldn't argue against hugs, of course, but consider this: In my Daily Meditation today, I mentioned that my father's health had taken a bad turn. Immediately, I began receiving comforting messages, one or two from people who have met my father, a few from people who know me personally, but most from people whom I know only online. Those messages meant a lot. None equals my wife's comforting touch or my middle son's telephone call or my sister's call. But they do matter. They do make a difference. An e-mailed promise of prayer has value. I think we need it all. We need the physical touch, we need the telephonic voice, we need assurance from longtime friend, and we need the message from online friend. Each plays a role in helping us deal with life's challenges. You know this, or else you wouldn't be reading this blog. But it's important that we let others, especially church leaders, know the depth that souls can reach when they connect by text message.   FAITH Q & A Q: What do you think about change as it relates to the core beliefs of the Christian church? A: When I think about “core beliefs” of Christians, I don't think about a single belief that all Christians held that now must be reexamined in light of, say, science or history. As I see our history, Christians have always held a wide diversity of beliefs, some of them contradictory. Attempts by Rome and others to establish monolithic dogma were simply never successful. They might never admit it to the priest, but people have believed what they wanted to believe, sometimes bringing in elements of superstition, paganism and humanism. The core, in other words, is always a rainbow, never a black or white. What changes, then, is what we dare to talk about, not what we dare to believe. Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Khakis Softened through Wearing” I wrote about my Dad. Multichannel Church Report: “Case Study of How the Pieces Fit Together” I outlined a brief case study of a ministry that embraces the multichannel concept.   Click here to subscribe.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/fight-for-what-you-believe-in/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/fight-for-what-you-believe-in/ Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:50:42 GMT If I gave on this point, surely that would satisfy them, and we could reach a new equilibrium. If I let go of one initiative in order to accommodate, surely that would be enough. I know now that antagonists smelled my weakness and became determined to press for more. No equilibrium would be allowed to emerge. They would keep me off-balance. The minute I thought the storm had passed, they would pounce again. I've heard countless clergy tell the same story. Maybe it's our personality type: we're strong enough to deal with the unbearable pressure of doing the job, but we fall back in conflict. In an ideal world, we wouldn't have antagonists bent on destroying leaders. But we don't live in such a world. Most clergy, and all presidents, are surrounded by people whose sole aim is to destroy them. My advice to President Obama is the same advice I wish someone had given me and which I now give to clergy: fight back, fight openly, fight to win, be prepared to lose, but don't lose by not trying. Your opponents smell your weakness, so get into the pit, come out swinging, and fight for what you believe in.   FAITH Q & A Q: Why does the organized church resist change so much? Change is growth. Growth is good. Yet the church seems always to resist growth and change, both in its understanding and practices. Why is this, and how should churches address growth and change? A: This is the subject of many books, of course. But in brief, change is like death. Change certainly taps our fear of death. Change is loss of control, loss of certainty, and often loss of place and privilege. Change forces us to confront realities that we have been avoiding and to deal with new constituencies whom we find threatening. Change is a crisis of faith: can God walk with us through this valley? Is God present and loving and strong enough to see us through? It is a crisis of community, too: do we truly trust the people around us enough to die to self? To deal with change, congregations need to deal with faith. They need to forge strong bonds among constituents, establish norms of flexibility and openness, prevent recycling of stale leadership, and allow their clergy to be change-agents. Failure to do that work has sunk many churches.   What subscribers are reading Daily Meditation: “Hear and See” I wrote about apprehending God as God truly is and letting go of self-defeating behaviors. Professional Edition: “Divide Leadership Duties” A healthy congregation needs two leadership cadres: one guiding operations, the other anticipating the future. When one cadre does both, the future is ignored and the congregation suffers.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/open-minds/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/open-minds/ Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:13:25 GMT I was in the trenches when changes like ordaining women, affirming gays, embracing racial diversity, moving altars, changing liturgies and welcoming children seemed to provoke negative energy, from raised eyebrows to all-out warfare. Now, except among a few well-funded diehards, I am hearing acceptance and even enthusiasm for ongoing changes in congregation's lives. If the comments I am receiving about online ministries are any indication, people seem more open to whatever God might be doing next. (See below for another batch of readers' comments.) I find this open-mindedness encouraging. We were so hard on each other for so many years. Our identity seemed to be wrapped up in fighting and resenting. Now, it could be that I don't get out much. But I like to think that we have learned something – not that one persuasion was right all along, but that fighting each other over ecclesiastical matters just pales beside dealing with the evil and suffering that are abroad in our world. Call it a victory of perspective. Some things just matter more than others. Tell me what you are seeing.   What subscribers are reading Daily Meditation: “Path” I wrote about a new iPhone app called Path.com and how it opened my thinking about the path of faith. Click here to subscribe.   Readers' comments on “Virtual Church” (These comments respond to a blogpost of Dec. 1. Click here to read.) I still like the concept of the 'gathered community'--we are already 'scattered' enough. I think there can be communication for caring needs, committee business, feedback, etc. done online, but just as I think that virtual classes are efficient and practical, the interaction that takes place when people are face-to-face is critical if we are to truly care about one another, change hearts re preconceived notions and stereotypes, learn from one another, etc. We could gather by interests, geography, or other criteria, but I would miss the gathering! Wonderful, thought-provoking comments on virtual church! I especially like the "both/and" insights, and the notion that virtual church will 'demand' real church! Amen. I think we're just afraid to let go ... afraid to trust that the Spirit can work through anything and any media. Sometimes when we talk about change we subconsciously expect to how what that change should look like and how to orchestrate it: let the Spirit do her work! As I read the comments about the potential for "virtual church," I was reminded to thank our parish secretary for having almost single-handedly (with encouragement from our Rector) created a virtual community in this small town in northeast Alabama. It has not supplanted our Sunday services but has provided a way to stay in touch when a member is ill, has died, or has reason for special celebration. I am rarely able to attend "services" in person but her diligent postings make me a part of the community in Christ. I am often brought to prayer when I receive emails from her. So even in the "backwoods of Alabama" a virtual community thrives. So I sent a big thank you to our parish secretary. It is not a question of either/or, but a both/and. Virtual church isn't a replacement for face-to-face, brick-and-mortar church. But, it can be a way to reach people who might not otherwise have access (e.g., can people who live in rural areas now view lectures and concerts at city-based cathedrals on the web? Can classes be held online for people who are home bound?). Who can we reach that we aren't reaching now because we limit activities to the church building? And, tools like Facebook and blogging can be a supplement to the once a week meeting between friends or keep in touch when people are traveling (e.g., our mission teams post daily updates during their trips so the congregation can participate more fully in the work). Don't know if you've come across St Pixel's (http://www.stpixels.com/headline-news), but it's an online church. The electronic, "virtual" world is nothing more than a book printed in electrons instead of ink molecules. (Today's miracle medium will be the parchmentr book of the future.) As such, an electronic, virtual church would be no better than a group of people reading the bible in separate locations and correspoonding by letter - just more immediate. That makes an interesting discussion or perhaps even a meeting of sorts, but doesn't constitute the gathering contemplated by Christ to constitute His church "wherever two or more are gathered". Virtual church alone would not work for me. I need an actual human church family for all the reasons already mentioned in previous posts. I have been a part of a "new start" church try, meaning we sold an existing property (after much prayer and investigation, etc.), which was very painful but also very exciting. Most of the existing "family" chose to make the move to a new, rented space in a new area. After a few years the congregation found some land and decided to build a basic building for worship, with room for physical growth. Unfortunately, this was unable to be completed, and once again we had to choose to leave a dream of "bricks and mortar" and tried to meet at a local grange. For reasons I still do not fully comprehend, soon thereafter the congregation known as "...." disbanded. Some have found other worship spaces, some (myself included) were only able to do so after several years of mourning the "death" of that "particular" church family. Some have not returned to a physical community. I value the online resources that have enabled me to read, learn, inwardly digest, contemplate, praise, worship, and interact with others. But though I do not need a particular "building", I seem to require a local live human church family. I have reconnected with a lovely group and they are becoming my new church "family". I also stay in touch with those from the congregation formerly known as "..." - which is both wonderful and bittersweet. You might be interested in the virtual community called The Anglican Cathedral of Second Life. It meets in virtual space on an island in Second Life. I have attended services there for nearly 3 years. Second Life is 3D virtual space that many universities now use for conferences and classes. Here is the blog for the community. http://www.facebook.com/l/7b7a1;slangcath.wordpress.com/ The community is currently working on constitutions with an Anglican bishop in England and is seeking to be registered as a charity in England in order to raise the funds needed to keep the island and Cathedral functioning in the future - given that Linden Labs will no longer give discounts on fees to universities and non-profits as in the past. " A friend of mine passed on your blog post about Virtual Church to me recently. For the past year and a half, I've helped to organize and lead an online community called 1st Presbyterian Church of Second Life. We meet several times each week in the virtual reality world of Second Life (www.SecondLife.com) for prayer, worship, fellowship and study. We're also affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) through their office of Evangelism and Church Growth. We actually avoid the label "virtual church" since we are real people in real community with one another. The medium in which we meet is virtual, but the church is not. We are the church. So, instead we often speak of "the church in the virtual world." Anyhow, if you're interested in learning more, our website is at www.1pcsl.org and I've also written a "Confession of Faith for the Church in the Virtual World" which author Phyllis Tickle has highlighted recently in some of her presentations. You can read it here: http://bit.ly/d2IBBE. Finally, I have an article coming out this year in the Princeton Theological Review that looks at Online Churches through the lens of the Reformed Confessions. I'd be happy to send you a copy, or answer any questions you have about our community. Thanks for raising the question, as I believe it's an important one.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/touched-nerve-on-virtual-church/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/touched-nerve-on-virtual-church/ Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:55:38 GMT I wrote about the concept of "virtual church." I left it vague as to whether I was describing a totally virtual church -- like the Jewish synagogue that exists entirely online -- or a faith community that uses online methods and tools to supplement its more traditional, incarnational side.  I wasn't surprised that readers' comments covered the same wide waterfront. Some applaud online tools, some see them as disturbing. Some see plenty of room for community-building online, some wonder how such online connections could even be considered "community."  I urge you to take the time to read these comments. Something is clearly happening. Only by talking with each other will we know what it is. Click here to send me your comment. READER COMMENTS (unedited) Virtual church to me is merely another way to build circles of friends in faith, a communication tool.  Church = people.  How we share God's loving grace is immaterial. The sharing is what matters, the core of life in Christ, with Christ, through Christ - be it by pew and pulpit, God and Guiness, coffee and the chrism of conversation, or bits and bytes. That we listen, consider, study, and respond to one matters. I favor a balance of face-to-face interaction AND Internet. That said, what I favor might not be what one soul needs. Isn't that reason enough to be both a church of bricks & mortar and virtual?  While coordinating administrative details online has been a boon to certain aspects of ministry, the practice of virtual churches is, at best, theologically problematic and at worst highly deconstructive to the church as the church. By its very nature a virtual church, an ecclesiastical version of virtual reality, is highly individual in nature. As a church we are called out of our isolation into community. And a virtual community is just that: virtual, which by definition is only nearly real. So, unless we are willing to completely rewrite the definitions of historical reality—and we may well be headed in this direction; unless we are willing to rewrite what constitutes church, community, worship and the sacraments (and a host of other spokes in the wheel, such as mission...pretty soon we will have virtual mission where people can feel as if they have practiced charity), we ought not put much stock in virtual expressions of Christ's body but, rather, attempt to embody Christ's body in traditional forms but in wholly nontraditional ways, e.g. not owning property. I'm not sure virtual congregations and/or churches are good. Modern technology tends to isolate people which is bad. One of the four elements of Christian spirituality is COMMUNITY -the interaction of a congregation to work toghether to be Christ to each other and to the world. Technology can be a tool to achieve that aim, but we need to sit down with our neighbors and act with them to build Christian communities. Well one thing that would have to go in a "virtual church" would be the rituals, robes and other things that the church has concentrated on over they years.  But it is past time for them to go anyway.  The church should have been about connection and caring all along, and the virtual church can certainly provide that.  But it will look more than a little foolish for the leader, priest or preacher to don some colorful robe in a virtual church podcast. Or to bring the golden encased Bible into the Internet holding it high as an icon of the faithful.  Maybe looked at this way the virtual church will save Christianity from its excesses of the past and bring back connection and caring between the people, like Facebook is doing among old and new friends. What about the Communion?  We could never receive the Body & Blood of Christ virtually. I look forward to that sacred moment every week.  It fills me & sustains. I'm intrigued by the small group idea, but how would we spread a priest around?  Yes, we have capable lay persons who could preach & teach, but once again, what about Communion?  If the church as we know it now goes away, do you see the end of the priesthood? "Virtual Church" - well, it's okay to an extent.  The same conversation has been had around board rooms for associations for a long time.  Conclusion: it's good to have some connection online.  It saves money, it saves time.  It's practical for most things. HOWEVER....The connections made online only generate a desire to meet face-to-face, even if it is just once a year at an annual conference.  Having done meetings for associations, I've witnessed the strengthening of community when people get together. Virtual church, I think, is similar.Yes, we can share ideas on line.  We can share our stories.  But, we can't give each other the hugs we need once in awhile.  We can coordinate a clergy visit when someone goes out of the area for surgery through e-mail, but that's not the same as meeting that person with a casserole caravan when they get home. There is too much power in the touch of a hand, or a gentle pat on the back, or a smile.  Skype can get you close, but it's not the same.I believe that there will be a need for 'reality' church because 'virtual' church is going to demand it. Our small, but mighty and growing congregation in rural, Appalachian Ohio uses virtual life together a lot. I am a part time priest of a congregation in another community 30 miles away from the "church."  We "live" by sharing news, prayer requests, reflections on scripture, prayer and day to day business on line. We have a FB page, we have an e newsletter and an e prayer list. Our website has sermons, vestry minutes, the budget online, and the good news it's all used and appreciated. We meet weekly on Sundays and midweek for Bible Study and prayer. Our problem is an aging facility that is totally unsuitable for our needs. What we need is a diocesean strategy for assisting us in letting go...both practically and emotionally of the things that hold us back. While I am the "leader" I am also one of the hearts of the congregation. It's well and good to talk about these things, but from "whence cometh our help?" This shift requires objestive and skilled facilatators to aid us in moving on to new places whether physical or spiritual or both. Always enjoy your meditations, now how to walk the talk? Maybe, I'm just unwilling to do my job?  Virtual church seems like one more way to connect God's people.  Soldiers in the desert may welcome it; folks in small towns who can't wait to enter the church doors on Sunday morning for preaching and fellowship won't need it.  I used to love the televised Hour of Prayer.  It wasn't a substitute for physical church but an additional time for thought and prayer.   I totally agree with your comments about virtual church. It does challenge our Christendom understanding of Church and gathering but in place like Australia where the Church is unable to have a physical presence in many rural and urban areas at least the web gives people opportunity to connect with others to grow their faith, enhance their worship of God and be encouraged intheir discipleship and mission.I have been trying for a number of years to get a few leaders interested inthis but with most being baby boomers like myself they don't totally get it. I expect that sooner or later some Gen X or Y'ers will work out how to do this well. There are some structural issues that need to be considered and it will still need leadership and at this stage I think the leadership is the challenge. In Australia we are providing DVD worship experiences for small rural congregations with no paid leadership called 'Project Reconnect', the online Church is the next step to this, I think. Thanks for encouraging public discussion on this issue. I think you are correct - a church needs a virtual component. This is especially useful to keep God in your face, as it were, the other 6.5 days of the week when you are outside the building.I do think 2 things are important though. No virtual contact is like standing face to face with someone. Live theatre is just different and more connecting that TV or the movies.The second is that if you can have a building it can be an enormous and important part of a church's ministry and outreach. Where does your Lifeline group meet? Our building get's used by the Boy scouts, Girl Scouts, AA, GA, EFMers, Stephen Ministers, Christ Care groups and on and on. Some of these groups also meet in people's homes which is - I think - also a good thing. So at the end of the day I think the best thing is to have a physical and virtual presence. Small groups in homes and a communion of many are both good things While the idea of virtual church seems simple, I am concenred about the complexity of the absence of personal fellowship.Social interaction seems to be cut donw more and more, and the need  for inter relationships seems almost mundane. Am I wwong? Or am I old and still chewing on days of old when people contact mattered. Our new technology allows us greatet opportunity to chat, learn and even pray, i suppose.  However, the componet of human fellowship is still vital, yet seems to be less important each day. I love spiritual reading on line. It is a way to connect during the work day, pause, contemplate and remember what is important. But I would miss the ceremony and pagentry of the Episcopal church. There is a real connection for me in attending services. The reverence of those rituals is so rich. Thank you for your writing, it is an important part of the day. The age of rapid digital communication and online communities should be embraced.  It has many exciting things to offer.  However, I don't think it can replace brick and mortar. Brick and mortar provides the space needed to see each other face to face. Electronic communities can do many things.  But, they can't provide communal space for flesh and blood.  The internet cannot hold you while you weep. There is room for changing how we look at and use our brick and mortar spaces.  I've seen too many that are like living rooms, lovely but you only go sit there when the Pastor comes to visit.  We need family rooms.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/virtual-church/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/virtual-church/ Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:47:42 GMT Having said that, I'm intrigued by the concept of “virtual church” and think we're already doing elements of it. Congregations already use the Internet to manage their operations. Some meet in dispersed locations and coordinate their common life online. Some meet in plenary but in different locations each week, as announced by e-mail and social media. Other share prayer concerns online, enable remote participation in worship, teach classes online, conduct virtual meetings to minimize travel expense, encourage online conversations, handle financial transactions and reservations online. I know of one Jewish community that exists entirely online. I don't see why a church couldn't do the same. Yes, it would be different. But that's no problem. Different could be good. What do you think about "virtual church"? Send me a note.    FAITH Q & A Readers: I need your questions. I could make some up, I suppose, but I'd rather respond to the questions that are on your minds. Click here to send me your questions.   What subscribers are reading   Daily Meditation: “Repent: 3” I wrote about moving out from behind the “armor of attitude, attire, accomplishment and accumulation.” Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/i-can-sense-atrend/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/i-can-sense-atrend/ Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:11:59 GMT You see the importance of online everywhere, from bill payments to managing government accounts to health care to movie rentals to college education.  Bricks-and-mortar is fading. So here are small congregations drowning in building expenses. Should they simply disband? I think not. With a little imagination, they could create a “virtual church,” grounded in their mutual affection and their desire to grow in faith. Meet in person, meet online, do more than drink coffee together on Sunday. With that as a founding principle, who needs a stone building? The same applies to larger congregations that should be looking for fresh ways to serve. The action for churches will be online – like it or not. The same factors that impel people to shop online can be expected to impact their faith explorations. Is this the end of civilization? No, just a change, a new development in humankind's restless journey. I say we should get with it.   FAITH Q & A Q: Is it simplistic to say that the key to the changing church enterprise is in the teachings of Jesus? A: Well, it might be simplistic if you thought the teachings of Jesus were simple. But they weren't. It's hard to imagine anything more complex than the parables Jesus told and his sayings about law and ethics. If faith communities set out to ground themselves in what Jesus actually did and said, as opposed to the imperial aspirations of early Church leaders, the Christian enterprise would undergo vast changes. It might end up hardly recognizable. I doubt there would be any empty pews if we set out to do what Jesus said. Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Repent: 1” I started a five-part series on the Advent theme of repentance. I'm trying to understand what “repent” actually means in 2011. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/thanksgiving-2010/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/thanksgiving-2010/ Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:28:49 GMT First Thanksgiving in their country house. His first time carving the turkey. Our youngest son's first Thanksgiving home from college. Much was familiar, too: My wife presiding over the bird, appetite-stirring walk, men on cleanup duties, a spirited game of charades to end the evening. And my awareness of being richly blessed. Life is never easy, and some seasons seem unusually stressful. But through it all, I have been blessed with a wonderful family.   I pray that Thanksgiving 2010 finds you feeling blessed, as well. God is so good, and our lives are in God's hands. Even when the harvest is lean, the Lord of the harvest cares deeply for us.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “This Day Matters” I reflected on how Thanksgiving reinforced my belief that every day matters. Click here to subscribe.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/the-year-of-impromptu-hallelujah/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/the-year-of-impromptu-hallelujah/ Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:24:12 GMT First it was an opera company breaking into song at Macy's in Philadelphia. Then, just now, I watched a You Tube video of singers at a suburban mall's food court. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE) They called it a “flash mob.” It's amazing how many people in both locations knew the chorale and just sang along. I'm reminded of the wonderful tradition at Watts Street Baptist Church, in Durham, NC, where anyone who knows “Hallelujah!” is invited forward to perform it with the choir. Every time, the chancel overflows. I've been writing about the tough times people are going through. I've suggested that congregations consider dialing down their Christmas festivities. Meet people where they are. Then, via Facebook, comes this food mall video. A camera panned the crowd of shoppers. I was struck by two faces: a middle-aged woman whose eyes just sparkled as she sang her part, and a somewhat older man who reached back to high school, I imagine, found his part and managed to sing and smile at the same time. In a year when mass outpourings have tended to be rage and intolerance, this was an impromptu outpouring of joy and faith.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “We Have Each Other and God” I wrote about some changes in my technology usage and a need to diversity away from Google and Facebook. That led to reflections on how, in tough times, we have our own wits and the faith community. Click here to subscribe. Professional Edition: “Two Suggestions for Christmas” I urged churches to discern unusual stresses among their constituents and to consider dialing down Christmas festivities, focusing intead on peace and calm. Click here to subscribe.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/simple-message-about-season-ahead/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/simple-message-about-season-ahead/ Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:51:43 GMT But I decided to proceed with a simple message: this Christmas will be tough year for many people. For individuals, not enough money to buy gifts for family. For retailers, not enough people coming through their doors. For churches, not enough people or money to make 2011 look institutionally promising. Not for everyone, of course. The super-rich have it made, thanks to their paid-for pals in Washington. Many others are doing fine. Jobs look solid, income looks adequate. Many churches have turned a corner and feel more confident. But I think it behooves us to see how many people are feeling displaced, disrupted and disappointed this year. This is a searing moment of truth for faith communities. Can we set aside grand displays, gather in simplicity and humility, and help people treasure the joy of family, the gift of friends, and the story of Bethlehem that is ours to tell?   FAITH Q & A Q: Can people really all call themselves Christians, if they each have their own personal concept and definition of what God is?  If so, then why couldn't Atheist and Theist both call themselves Christian? A: Yes, I think people of many belief approaches can call themselves Christians. There never has been one single definition, although some monolithic institutions have tried to impose one. The term “Christian” covers a broad range of understandings. God's desire, as I see it, is to take whatever opening people give God, and then to draw them closer, not to perfect definition, but in perfect love. Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Who Knew?” I wrote about some wonderful examples of life's many surprises. Click here to subscribe.  ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/jettison-more-stuff/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/jettison-more-stuff/ Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:05:04 GMT that God "expects," "sees," or "cares," I go right back to imagining that same God.  It's difficult for me to make the leap from human form to spirit with words such as those. A: First, you aren't alone in seeking a fresh image of God. Some want to move away from “grandfatherly” images, some from masculine images, some from personal images altogether. Second, it is indeed partly a language problem. Our human tongue is so limited, and never more so than when we try to talk about God. The words we know to describe agency, presence and purpose end up being personal and, thus, raising the question, Well, if God is personal, what kind of “person”? Third, whether we use personal language or impersonal, male or female or neutral, tangible or spiritual, we end up engaging in a delicate dance, in which we say, I know God isn't exactly like this, but it's the best I can do. I need to say something about God, so in saying that something, I accept an inevitable narrowing of concept. For myself, I have decided to use personal language, gender-neutral wherever possible, and to view God as having a “heart to love,” “hands to heal,” and a “voice to sing.” I know in my mind that God is more than that. But mechanistic concepts like Tillich's “ground of being” leave me cold. I can't pray to a concept. I want God to be close at hand, not far away. Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Weekly Essay: “Then & Now” Using a photo from churchgoing in 1957, I wrote about how much has changed in our Christian world. Click here to subscribe (only $15 a year, or $35 when bundled with Daily Meditations).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/give-credit-to-my-father/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/give-credit-to-my-father/ Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:48:59 GMT In fact, I credit my father, now 94, for most of what I value. Citizenship, love of country, loyalty to my family, providing for them as best I can, trying to be a good husband, valuing my sons' freedom, independence and creativity, praying over food, working hard, being honest – all come from him. Some of what he taught me probably is outmoded, like giving up my seat to women, but I do it anyway. I know women can stand as well as I can. But he taught me to respect women, and so I do. He taught me the words to all the great old songs, like “Down by the Old Millstream.”   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Juries & Justice” I built on my experience as a juror and wrote about justice. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year). Multichannel Church: “In Comm, One Size Can't Fit All” I wrote about the need for multiple communications tools to reach diverse constituents. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year). Church Wellness Report: “Listen – Life Comes at Us Fast” I wrote about listening to people, not assuming we know what they need, and remaining nimble as church leaders. Click here to subscribe (Free).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/jury-duty-a-lesson-in-civics/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/jury-duty-a-lesson-in-civics/ Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:19:41 GMT Click here to send your question.   Here's an invitation to do two important things at once: help me to expand the reach of my writing give your friends a wonderful Christmas gift that will last a full year]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/depth-in-the-unrehearsed/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/depth-in-the-unrehearsed/ Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:36:18 GMT Click here to send your question. What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Beyond Power” I wrote about moving from “watching” to acting, from wanting power to submitting to power. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, for five posts a week). Professional Edition: “Time to Change” I shared excerpts from my address last week to the Diocesen Convention in Southern Ohio. Click here to receive a copy of this newsletter.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/why-he-came-at-all/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/why-he-came-at-all/ Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:28:27 GMT FAITH Q & A  Q: We have had several discussions about spirituality vs christian formation.  Where would you place formation? A: The term I would use is “transformation.” God's refashioning of us isn't to create a set-piece, like a vase, but to create a new and dynamic being, who lives and loves in fresh and holy ways. Transformation means moving toward wholeness and sanity, seeing other people with new eyes, seeing oneself as a child of God, embracing the giving of care as a primary life-purpose, and feeling connected to an enterprise that is larger than self or tribe. Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Stop, Look and Listen” I wrote about adding one more thing to a busy week – standing at the foot of the Cross – and allowing to redefine all that I do. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seattle-church-sells-building/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/seattle-church-sells-building/ Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:23:38 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Changing Christian Enterprise” Continuing my preparation for an address in Southern Ohio, I wrote about moving beyond church as an enclave of safety. Click here to subscribe (only $24). Multichannel Church Report: "Pushing Past Memories" I wrote about the problem memory: so many current constituents remember the 1950s and struggle to let their congregations change. Click here to subscribe (only $25).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/changing-christian-enterprise/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/changing-christian-enterprise/ Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:22:24 GMT just click here to send me a request.   FAITH Q & A Q: In our faith communities this is stewardship time where mission and ministry look for money to operate. We are thinking of reducing our church pledge so we might have more funds available to support Godly work done outside of our congregation. Your thoughts? My opinion? Unless you are already tithing (10% of gross harvest), give normal amount plus some to your church, and give additional amounts to other worthy recipients. If your congregation is worth your time for worship and ministry, then it deserves your best harvest giving. If it isn't worth your giving, then why would you stay there at all? Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today   Daily Meditation: “Changing Christian Enterprise 2” I wrote about moving beyond the search for absolutes and making the world better by who we are, rather than by right-opinion. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Professional Edition: “Rack 'em” I wrote about how effective church leaders are like effective billiards players. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/joy-of-nyc-diversity/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/joy-of-nyc-diversity/ Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:56:08 GMT Click here to send your question.  What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Changing Christian Enterprise 1” First of five pieces on sea-changes going on in our Christian enterprise.   Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/singing-at-macys/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/singing-at-macys/ Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:49:49 GMT Click here to send your question. What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Grasp the Obvious” I reflected on changing direction when one is obviously lost.  Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year for delivery five days a week to your inbox). Multichannel Church Report: “Respond to Elections” Election results suggest a lot of pain and frustration, which in turn givbe clear direction to faith communities and reinforce the importance of Multichannel Church principles. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/beyond-partisanship/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/beyond-partisanship/ Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:25:21 GMT Click here to send your question. What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Outside the Bubble” I wrote about leaving behind the “religious bubble” and venturing out where people ask their questions.  Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, weekdays in the your inbox). Professional Edition: “Giving Down? Tell the Whole Story” I sketched two responses to falling stewardship results.  Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/important-election-day/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/important-election-day/ Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:18:36 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today   Daily Meditation: “Gotcha” I wrote about the politics of “gotcha” and how we need to do what Jesus did: follow the money. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, for five days a week in your inbox).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/sing-out-the-love/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/sing-out-the-love/ Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:10:26 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “French & English” I wrote about encountering the barrier of language. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, delivered to your inbox). Multichannel Church Report: “Any Size Church Can Do It” I showed how even a small church can diversify its ministries and reach more constituents. Click here to subscribe ($25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/quebec-day-2-hopeful-action/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/quebec-day-2-hopeful-action/ Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:13:26 GMT Send your question.   What subscribers are reading today   Daily Meditation: “Quebec Synod Bible Study 2” The second and final Bible study that I led for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec's synod, continuing the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Professional Edition: “Progress Curve” I sketched and explained a critical tool for understanding church development. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).   Here's a photo of downtown Quebec City and the St. Lawrence River ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/quebec-day-1--hopeful-spirit/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/quebec-day-1--hopeful-spirit/ Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:12:30 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today   Daily Meditation: “Quebec Synod Bible Study 1” I shared my study of Luke 6.60-21. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, delivery weekdays to your inbox).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/on-to-quebec/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/on-to-quebec/ Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:18:19 GMT Click here to send your question.  What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Humility Builds Bridges” If we are to have a “great awakening of hope,” it will come through humility. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, delivered weekdays to your inbox).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/my-online-comm-toolkit/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/my-online-comm-toolkit/ Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:38:44 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Smugness Fails” So much to be learned from the Pharisee in Jesus' parable. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, in your inbox five days a week). Multichannel Church Report: “Make Your Online Strategy Broad Enough” Specific guidance on how congregations can make full use of online tools and opportunities. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year, in your inbox weekly).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/one-glimpse-at-a-time/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/one-glimpse-at-a-time/ Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:27:45 GMT Click here to send me your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Solitary Journey” I wrote about Christian faith as a personal and private journey. Click here to subscribe (just $24 a year, delivered to your inbox five days a week). Professional Edition: “Mistakes to Avoid” Building on an insightful article about the “Five Biggest Mistakes in Business,” I applied them to churches and encouraged church leaders to surmount them. Click here to subscribe ($25 a year, delivered weekly).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/onward-upward/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/onward-upward/ Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:00:20 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Roll Up Those Sleeves” I wrote about changing plans,. Letting go of control, and getting to work. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year, in your inbox five days a week)    ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/your-church-can-grow/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/your-church-can-grow/ Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:40:39 GMT Click here to send your question.  What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Chile & West Virginia” I looked at rescue in Chile and a disaster with no rescues possible six months ago. What do they say about God? Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year). Church Wellness Report: “Push-Marketing” I outlined this critical strategy for growing congregations. Click here to subscribe (this one is FREE).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/imagine-christians-having-fun/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/imagine-christians-having-fun/ Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:42:36 GMT Here’s the link. See what you think.   Faith Q & A Q: If doctrine or dogma includes believing Islam is evil, as Franklin Graham believes, homosexuality is wrong, or evolution is not valid, isn't a point reached that is not acceptable?  A: I think we each have our own line in the sand. It defines the boundaries of what we consider true, honorable, just, necessary and Godly. If we are faithful, we turn to God for the laying of that line. If we are wise, we recognize our imperfect vision of what God truly wants. If we care about loving our neighbor, we don’t get haughty or condemnatory when someone else crosses our line.  A just society doesn’t necessarily have consensus about doctrine. A just society leaves room for disagreement and preserves the right of each to speak. Armed with that freedom, some people will say things that make our blood boil. But that is the price of freedom.  Better to avoid naming absolutes and, instead, to preserve freedom.  Send me your question. What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Meeting in the Middle” I wrote about pushing and pushing back, and the role of peacemakers. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year). Multichannel Church Report: “Seven Keys to Staying on Message” Effective ways to manage your congregation’s message.  Click here to subscribe to this weekly report (only $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/new-home-page/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/new-home-page/ Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:27:18 GMT www.morningwalkmedia.com. Launched today.  As I wrote in Professional Edition, I decided to follow my own consulting advice: Functional, not pretty Clarity about identity, purpose and offerings State the benefits being offered Calls to action Social media links Follow a web pro’s advice My old home page went live just six months ago, but I concluded it was too subtle and flawed. As I tell clients, don’t be afraid to change direction. If something isn’t working, fix it. Or let it go. Be guided by outcomes, not by noble intentions. I’ve already started planning the next iteration. I welcome your comments.    Faith Q & A Q: Do you believe that a church is about what people believe?  Can people who believe very different things about Ultimate Reality, God, Jesus and the rest of Christianity's dogma be in fellowship in the same church, or do like believers need to seek out their own? A: I think faith communities form around shared interests, perhaps the personality of a leader, a shared sense of history and geography, and shared needs for what a faith community can be expected to offer. Doctrine might play a role in that coalescing for some people. But I suspect it isn’t the primary cause or glue of community. I remember worshiping in a congregation where I disagreed with every word the preacher said, but I admired him as a human being and man of God and would have trusted him with my life. We debated doctrine, never agreed, and came to have a tight bond.  In my opinion, none of us holds all the keys. We are all seekers and pilgrims. My part is to conduct my quest with honesty and integrity and to leave room for your quest. Community doesn’t fracture over differences of belief, but over the arrogance of claiming one’s beliefs as ultimate truth.  Besides, if we were all of one mind, how would we learn anything? Click here to send your question. What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Persistence” Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow has taken on new meaning where I live. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year). Professional Edition: “Follow My Own Advice” As outlined above, I used my new home page as a teaching for church leaders to consider. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/gift-of-attention/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/gift-of-attention/ Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:05:39 GMT Click here to send your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “God Remembered” I told how a long-ago prayer was answered. I had forgotten it. God had remembered. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Get your Christmas gift lists ready. I am launching a streamlined procedure tor giving gift subscriptions. Watch for it. ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/life-will-prevail/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/life-will-prevail/ Sat, 09 Oct 2010 11:51:13 GMT Here’s an essay I wrote for the Multichannel Church section of my web site. Can we turn it around? Absolutely. The way forward is clear. We just need the will to move on.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/one-image-not-enough/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/one-image-not-enough/ Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:51:34 GMT Daily Meditation: “Vexation & Sadness” I tried to imagine what feelings Jesus bore with him to Jerusalem and to Calvary. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Church Wellness Report: “Prepare for Christmas Sales (Yes, Sales)” I outlined some ideas for selling items online.  Click here to subscribe (this newsletter is FREE).    ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/a-spirit-of-onward/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/a-spirit-of-onward/ Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:01:26 GMT Write me.    Faith Q & A Q: What drives the human preoccupation with burying the deceased in the ground? A: Like other rituals associated with dying, I think we see burial -- or cremation -- as a sign of respect. I doubt we think through the mechanics of it, as much as want a burial event that expresses our love for the deceased. When we enter the church or funeral home, we look around at faces, not at caskets. When we gather at the cemetery, we cling to each other. Hardly anyone watches the casket or ashes being placed in their final spot.  Send me your question.    What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Then the Nine” I wrote about the nine lepers who were healed but didn’t return immediately to praise God.  Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Multichannel Church Report: “W Do Know the Reasons” I think we do know why Sunday attendance is dropping at mainline churches. We just don’t want to see it. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).     ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/learning-about-lead-generation/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/learning-about-lead-generation/ Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:47:17 GMT Ask me for a copy of today's Professional Edition on "Lead Generation." Faith Q & A Q: You wrote this morning about passion. Do you think we can choose to have passion, or is it, perhaps, a gift that some have in abundance and others less? Or both? A: I think the capacity for passion resides in every one of us. The “rare earth,” if you will, is courage -- the courage to experience our passions, the courage to express them, the courage to accept them as signs of God’s yearning. Last Sunday, our preacher was on fire, and I wanted to jump to my feet and join the cheering. But I didn’t. I remained seated. Plenty of passion, not enough courage.  Send me your question.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Circles” I wrote about circles of friends and how we yearn to sit in them. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Professional Edition: “10 Keys to Lead Generation” I applied a marketing concept, lead generation, to critical work that faith communities need to be doing. Click here to subscribe (only $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/full-circle/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/full-circle/ Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:58:26 GMT Church Choir Stories.   Faith Q & A Q: What's the difference between "Club members" and “church members”? A: Full disclosure: I have belonged to several clubs. I like clubs. To call someone a “club member” isn’t a negative in my eyes. Further disclosure: the term “church member” touches me, too, for I have belonged to several churches over the years and valued the experience. I consider “church member” a positive term. Both terms, however, miss the point of what Jesus wanted for us. Jesus wasn’t forming or promoting an institution, as we think of institution with rules, membership payments, space. He was forming circles of friends, which I see as informal in style and grounded in a shared commitment to follow Jesus. People agree to love God and each other, and that love, not any rituals of belonging, are what sustained them.  Click here to send me your question.   What subscribers are reading Daily Meditation: “Passion” I offered three examples of passion and said it was time for us to be passionate followers. Click here to subscribe to On a Journey (only $24 a year.)]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/end-of-the-week/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/end-of-the-week/ Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:55:20 GMT Readers' Church Choir Stories. Notice how wonderfully human they are. Sad in two cases, happy in others. Sort of like life itself. If you have one to add, send it to me. Click here.   Gleanings from the Web In my Church Wellness Report yesterday, I told readers that I have been forwarding to a few friends some interesting articles, newsletters and blogs that I receive. Most come from outside the religious realm, but they have direct pertinence to what church leaders are doing.  I asked readers if they would like to get on that forwarding list. Many said Yes. Let me extend the invitation to blog readers, as well. I read 50 blogs and e-letters a day, in my search for fresh ideas and learnings. If you like to be on the list, just send me a note by clicking here. I find it encouraging that so many church leaders are eager to move forward. Many remain stuck, of course. But many are saying, Onward! Fresh ideas, fresh initiatives!   Faith Q & A Q: What is the difference between “magical thinking” and “mystical thinking”? A: “Magical thinking,” as I used the term in a recent article, refers to the delusional belief that some magical force wil rescue us from poor planning, poor execution, and poor leadership. An example is the stewardship team that doesn’t bother training people in stewardship, doesn’t address Biblical texts, doesn’t seek any commitment to transformation of life, but simply announces a budget requirement, asks people to give to it, and counts on a few wealthy people to save the day.  “Mystical thinking,” on the other hand, refers to an awareness of God’s mystery, an acceptance that some things cannot be known but can be experienced, a view of God as here but not-here, already but not-yet, glimpsed and yet unseen, believed in and yet beyond definition.  Send me your question. What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Lines” I reflected on the lines in our lives -- like the fine line between genius and insanity -- and the line that Jesus’ disciples crossed in wanting to grasp equality with him. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/readers-church-choir-stories/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/readers-church-choir-stories/ Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:46:34 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/choir-rehearsal----who-knew/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/choir-rehearsal----who-knew/ Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:29:41 GMT Daily Meditation: “Faith in Circles” I reflect on how Jesus formed circles of friends and how that differs from the hierarchies many try to sustain. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year.) Church Wellness Report: “Two Clues on Time Management” I offered two suggestions for how church leaders manage their time. Click here to subscribe (it’s free).    ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/lighting-designer-not-an-acupuncturist/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/lighting-designer-not-an-acupuncturist/ Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:58:18 GMT Daily Meditation: “Free, Yet Not Free” I reflected on how we are free beings and yet bound to one another. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year).   Professional Edition: “Five Steps for Effective Leadership” I listed five steps for recruiting leaders with the skills, courage and attitude for a time of change. Click here to subscribe ($25 a year).   Multichannel Church Report: “Wanted: Entrepreneurial Leaders” Why we need entrepreneurs leading churches now and what are their traits.  Click here to subscribe ($25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/could-happen/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/could-happen/ Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:17:33 GMT Daily Meditation: “Increase Our Faith” I reflect on a congregation that is ready to move on into a challenging future. To subscribe (only $24 a year), click here.    ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/teenagers-at-work/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/teenagers-at-work/ Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:10:55 GMT Weekly Essay: “Magical Thinking” As alluring as “magical thinking” can be for religious and political leaders, they serve best when they see reality and embrace hard choices. To subscribe for only $15 a year, click here.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/fixtures-faded-or-gone/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/fixtures-faded-or-gone/ Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:33:49 GMT “Fixtures Faded or Gone.”   Faith Q & A Q: Too many people feel that if a lot of others are doing a certain thing, that makes it alright. It is not alright. How do we get that across in a very selfish age? A: You’re talking about ethics, and ethics might be the hardest task facing faith communities nowadays. Several reasons.  First, a certain cultural consensus existed for many decades. Many families, leaders, cultural institutions, churches seemed to be “singing from the same songsheet,” as it were. That consensus faded and isn’t likely to return. Faith communities are in a more counter-cultural role than they ever have been in America.  Second, after far too many instances of corruption and deceit, respect for authority has diminished. Even if we had a strong ethical message to deliver, would anyone listen?  Third, it is ethics that divides Christians more than anything else. We have become part of the noise.  That said, I think local congregations will need to venture into ethical instruction. People obviously need it. They will need to remind families and community leaders that God has certain norms and expectations. We can know those, and we certainly will benefit from following them.   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Rich and Poor : 3” Continuing my engagement with the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I reflected on newspaper reporting assignments in the coalfields of Appalachia and the rich-poor divide I saw there. Click here to subscribe to On a Journey (just $24 a year).   Multichannel Church Report: “Six Obstacles, Six Responses” I named the most likely obstacles congregations will face as they diversity as Multichannel Churches, and I gave six responses to them.  Click here to subscribe to Multichannel Church Report (just $25 a year).]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/moving-forward/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/moving-forward/ Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:08:06 GMT Seth Godin’s insightful article about the “forever recession” -- “the recession of the industrial age, the receding wave of bounty that workers and businesses got as a result of rising productivity but imperfect market communication” -- I made a list of some institutions that once seemed permanent fixtures but now are struggling, fading or gone. Here’s my list: Local daily newspapers Network television Corner hardware stores Desktop computers Bank tellers Small private colleges Industrial jobs In today’s “Professional Edition,” I told church leaders that, if nothing changes, their congregations are likely to be on that list within five years.  What would you add to my list? Think about it. Think about what once seemed givens, requirements, certainties, forever with us. Now they are gone, thanks to changing times.  Our faith communities must move forward, or they will die. Slow and gradual change is delusional.    Faith Q & A Q: What do you think of this video (showing Massachusetts sixth-graders on a field trip to a Muslim mosque, followed by expressions of parental alarm)?  A: In the course of my upbringing and later church work, I took or led field trips to churches of many denominations and several Jewish synagogues. Some were school-sponsored. I never saw anything odd in them. The only reason for questioning a Muslim mosque's being included in such field trips would be if you considered Islam dangerous, which I don't.    What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Rich and Poor : 2” Continuing my dealing with Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. How the rich seem to get their way in this life, but don’t fool God. Click here to subscribe.   Professional Edition: “Eight Steps for Moving Forward” In this weekly report for church leaders, I named eight steps for claiming a bright and lively future -- not just surviving, but thriving. Click here to subscribe.  Send me a note to receive a sample.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/rich--poor/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/rich--poor/ Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:23:24 GMT Daily Meditation: “Rich and Poor : 1” I decided to launch a five-part series on Jesus’ teaching about rich and poor. In this first part, I talked about my “baby boom” generation and what we are experiencing in rich vs. poor. More to come as the week proceeds. To subscribe to On a Journey, click here. Personal aside:I use photographs in my On a Journey newsletters, with the aim of amplifying the written word with the unique power of images. I use pictures that I have taken in my travels and around my home in New York City. I hope you enjoy them. ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/bad-news-good-news/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/bad-news-good-news/ Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:18:11 GMT Write me for a copy.) While the official numbers are grim, we can turn this around if we just work at it (the “good news.”)  We need to let go of some old self-defeating behaviors and move on to best practices. We have a wonderful window of opportunity. For the first time in my memory, local church folks are willing to consider change. The sullen resistance to change that has marked recent decades seems to be fading. Blaming negative trends on whatever we don’t like seems less persuasive. We just need to do the basics better.  I find this present moment very hopeful for mainline congregations. But we won’t get anywhere unless we see reality.  Faith Q & A Q: How can we ever stop this waste of money in election advertising?  If the wealthiest people are the only people who can run for office, how will we ever hear of the needs and experience of those with limited resources?  A: We seem to be engaged in the second phase of a great experiment. The first phase -- so long ago that few remember it -- was when legislators ceased to be farmers and shopkeepers who hurried home to their enterprises and became instead a professional class whose primary employment was holding political office. The second phase is allowing pockets of wealth to determine which legislators get to remain employed. Those deep pockets include special interests, both conservative and liberal, the candidates’ personal wealth and now corporations. How it will play out remains to be seen. My hunch is that the critical issue isn’t the money, but the character of those elected and an extreme ideological bent that makes compromise and serving the common good impossible for them to consider.    What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Scenes of Faithfulness” I named three scenes of faithfulness -- all small -- and said it is by our small decisions that God discerns whether we can be trusted with more. Click here to subscribe (only $24 a year.)   Church Wellness Report: “Bad News, Good News” Working from data provided by the Presbyterian church, I examined recent trends and what they suggest about congregational viability, and then suggested a way forward.  Click here to subscribe (free.)]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/speak-up/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/speak-up/ Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:32:40 GMT Send me your question.    What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “Connecting” I explored how people find each other on a deeper level, sometimes for good, sometimes for evil.    Multichannel Church Report: “Sell the Problem” Respond to the problems, needs and questions that people actually have.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/plunging-into-social-media/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/plunging-into-social-media/ Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:48:53 GMT Send me your question. (Brief, please)   What subscribers are reading today Daily Meditation: “Jobs” I wrote about the losing of jobs and what it does to us. Click here to subscribe for only pennies a day.    Professional Edition: “Signs of a Bad Manager” I shared insights of an article about ineffective managers and translated it into the church context. Click here to subscribe for only 50 cents a week.  ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/hope-in-the-news-blizzard/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/hope-in-the-news-blizzard/ Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:21:55 GMT Send me your question. (Please keep it brief.)   What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “Street Fair” Where would Jesus be today? Probably working street fairs.  Subscribe to see what I mean.    ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/bring-on-the-news/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/bring-on-the-news/ Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:40:42 GMT Daily Meditation: “Change of Mind” Some responses to the anti-Isalamic episode suggest why so few people repent their sins and why our accountability systems are in such disarray. Click here to learn more.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/exciting-time-in-words/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/exciting-time-in-words/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:01:06 GMT Send me your question. What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “Life Matters” An oiverpriced sugar cookie leads me to an insight on how each life matters. Click here to learn more.   Church Wellness Report: “Think like Marketers” I encourage church leaders to think more like marketers and less like institutional managers. Click here to learn more.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/ring-of-goodness/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/ring-of-goodness/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:09:18 GMT http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/pings-for-god/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/pings-for-god/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:32:22 GMT Daily Meditation: “Persons, not Numbers” Building on a subway experience, I looked at Jesus as having a “micro” focus on persons, as opposed to a “macro” focus on numbers.  Click here to learn more.   Professional Edition: “Third-Level Attributes of Effective Leaders” I looked at the critical attributes that separate an effective leader from a nice person and organization manager. Click here to learn more.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/beyond-running-on-trust-fumes/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/beyond-running-on-trust-fumes/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:43:05 GMT Lifeline arrived and we faced technology problems, absent speaker, no food delivery, and empty seats.  But then God smiled, people poured in, we decided not to stress over technology or food, the evening’s speaker arrived, and our weekly recovery ministry was a strong Go.  I wrote about this in more depth in today’s On a Journey Daily Meditation. But I want to say here that trusting in God isn’t just for sunny days, but for days of doubt and frustration, as well.  What God provides doesn’t always follow my script -- surprise! -- but God is always worthy of trust. In the endless battle between Fear and Love, Fear often seems to have the upper hand and loudest devotees. But Love carries the day.    Faith Q & A Q: What are your thoughts about "being" the church vs. "doing" church? A: If by “church” you mean an institution grounded in hierarchies of power, property, rituals and rules, I think the first question is purpose, not “being” or “doing.” But if you mean a faith community dedicated to making God present and transforming lives, then I come down on the side of action. Jesus entered into situations, touched bodies, gave new names, taught boldly, spoke truth to power, and sacrificed everything. He acted. He changed lives.    What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “God Provides” I described our Sunday evening dilemma and how God provides, and built a bridge to the Pharisees and the important role they played in Jesus’ ministry. Click here to learn more.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/squeezing-summers-last-drop/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/squeezing-summers-last-drop/ Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:50:19 GMT end me your questions. (It helps if you keep your question short!)   What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “Courage to Do Without” Reflecting on recent decisions -- not buying a new computer, moving to a small and ordinary office -- I reflected on moving beyond possessions and discovering what Jesus meant.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/hurricane-watch/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/hurricane-watch/ Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:20:58 GMT Send me your question.   What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “David vs. Goliath” Small forces of good go up against large forces of evil.  Click here to subscribe.   Church Wellness Report: “What a Lively Future Will Require” I consider what churches that want a lively future will need to do. Hint: it isn’t about money. Click here to subscribe.  ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/doing-faith-with-other-people/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/doing-faith-with-other-people/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:16:55 GMT Send me your question.   What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “Towers of Dreams” I explore faith as an “entrepreneurial venture,” embracing risk, new ideas, going outside boundaries.     Multichannel Church Report: “Clearing the Second Hurdle: Off-Site Ministries” I present a strategy for developing off-site ministries in small and medium congregations.  ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/into-the-marketplace/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/into-the-marketplace/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:51:58 GMT Send me your question. What subscribers are reading today: Daily Meditation: “Beyond Niceness” Moving beyond a “coffee hour religion” that is grounded in niceness and social conventions.   Professional Edition: “Read More Blogs” What church leaders can learn from blogs and newsletters coming from the marketplace.  ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/week-two-of-new-blog/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/week-two-of-new-blog/ Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:11:49 GMT Send your question.   What subscribers are reading today: On a Journey: “Way Forward” Some want to escape techno-modernity. Most of us have to earn a living. What is our way forward? Jesus has the answer.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/fire-in-the-belly/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/fire-in-the-belly/ Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:30:10 GMT Weekly Essay: “Spin, Marty & Facebook” I reflected on where social media like Facebook and Twitter fit into our lives.   You are receiving this blog during as someone who has subscribed to one or more of my writings. To stop receiving it, just click on the Unsubscribe link at the bottom.    ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/surprise-surprise/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/surprise-surprise/ Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:39:23 GMT Daily Meditation: “Level Playing Field” At my son’s college, every student starts off on a level playing field. That’s the way God works, too. Our hierarchies aren’t God’s way.  For more about these daily writings, click here.    Church Wellness Report: “Get Ready to Measure” As church leaders prepare for fall, they should include preparing to measure consistently and acurately. Dull as statistics might be, they are critical for planning and deciding.  For more about this weekly teport on best practices, click here.  ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/empty-nest/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/empty-nest/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:17:22 GMT Daily Meditation: “Honors” My son can’t walk into Bighampton University tomorrow and expect to have honors heaped on him. Honors are earned and conferred. So said Jesus about the guests at table, too. Self-promotion isn’t the way to build a life. Click here for more on these daily writings.   Multichannel Church Report: “Manage Your ‘Brand” with Social Media” A practical look at how congregatiopns can use social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) to develop their ministries beyond Sunday morning. Click here for more on this weekly report.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/making-the-world-better/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/making-the-world-better/ Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:59:29 GMT On a Journey Daily Meditation: “Good Village” An all-day joust with Time Warner produced a real hero: a technician who stayed on the phone with me until the job was done. Someone, I concluded, had raised him right. That got me thinking about the “villages” that raised us and now raise our children. We need “good villages” that line out and terach ethical behavior, not just any old village.  For more information, click here. To subscribe, click here.   Professional Edition: “Housing Sales & Election Fears” Tomorrow’s headlines will be grim. They reflect deep issues. Church leaders need to step up. I offered specific guidance on how to respond to a severe plunge in home sales and elections dominated by fears. Practical and strategic advice. For more information, click here. To subscribe, click here.]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/connected-at-last/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/connected-at-last/ Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:58:08 GMT Daily Meditation: "Plenty for All" Fear of not-enough drives much of our lives and society. We need to teach the truth about God's abundance. For more, click here: On a Journey]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/happy-to-be-here/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/happy-to-be-here/ Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:48:01 GMT Daily Meditation: "Merge Lanes" Driving across the George Washington Bridge forces eight lanes into two lanes, and only works if people are mature about merging lanes and taking turns. Jesus was all about "merging." He didn't operate from "scarcity," but from knowing there was plenty to go around.  For more, click here: On a Journey Church Wellness Report: "Jump into Social Media" I explained the practical steps for adding social media to your strategies for growing your church. Be prepared to jump in and to change constantly, I said.  For more, click here: "Church Wellness Report" ]]> http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/what-is-morningwalk/ http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/morning-walk-media-blog/what-is-morningwalk/ Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:06:19 GMT What is your question?   What subscribers are seeing today Daily Meditation: "One Does Matter" New office, new blog. Why? In a world awash in words, why send more? This is the end of the scope that Jesus used: one life does matter, one healing is worth doing, one word is worth speaking, one person can make a difference. For more, click here: On a Journey Multichannel Church Report: "Paradigms  Do Shift -- Pay Attention to Them" I explained how a scientific concept, "Paradigm shift," has helped us to comprehend the churn of modernity. Paradigm shifts happen: can't be forced, can't be stifled. Healthy enterprises -- including churches -- are those that "encourage newness and questioning," seek leaders who "dare to take charge" to keep the future open.  For more, click here: "Multichannel Church Report" ]]>