I am in the home stretch of my sabbatical, and have been taking time for the last week or so to reflect on the learning, and all that God has done in my life during this time. At the same time, for the last two weeks I have the news has been dominated by the… Continue reading Genesis 1 and Charlottesville
Category: sabbatical
Changing to stay the same
This week I have been working through author Thomas Friedman’s book, “Thank You for Being Late.” The subtitle is both insightful and beautiful “An optimists guide to thrilling in the age of accelerations.” What he means by this is that we are at the first moment in history when the pace of change in the… Continue reading Changing to stay the same
What Makes My Heart Sing?
When I was in Colorado last week, one of the pastors I met with asked me, so what is your sabbatical all about? So I started with the question that I was asked to reflect on for our sabbatical grant, “What makes your heart sing?” And for me my heart sings when I see people… Continue reading What Makes My Heart Sing?
Follow me
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, Luke 5:27 I was challenged over my sabbatical to read through the gospels, to notice Jesus sense of joy and hope throughout all that he does. As I ran across Jesus… Continue reading Follow me
Road blocks or opportunities?
You are the greatest barrier to your own transformation. I was sitting in a classroom at my seminary with 20+ other pastors hearing these words. All of us in the room had heard this before, but as I reflected on these words, I wondered: how would I life differently if this was so? This question… Continue reading Road blocks or opportunities?
Choose your own adventure
A few weeks ago, I sat down with a coach who has been deeply formative in my life the last few years and asked her this: how do you stay hopeful and joyful amidst all that life can throw at you? She wondered with me, Bill, how do you be when you are hopeful and… Continue reading Choose your own adventure
Grateful
This summer a common theme across all I have read and heard from pastors I have met with is the importance of slowing down, reflecting, praying, and the practice of solitude. So I have worked to take this on as a discipline this summer. To slow down, to have space for solitude and reflection. It… Continue reading Grateful
Hurry Up and Wait
Last week I had a wonderful week of learning and connecting with friends in Houston, TX, and as I was waiting at airport I observed something: the Southwest Phenomenon. 10 minutes before any directions were given to pre-board the plane, people were staking out spots near the boarding area. As soon as the directions were… Continue reading Hurry Up and Wait
How Far…
Recently I watched Disney’s hit movie, “Moana,” and if you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. The movie centers around Moana, the young, soon to be queen, fighting the tension between her own culture’s expectations for her, and a stirring she feels inside that tells her she is something more. I have felt the… Continue reading How Far…
What’s Your Story?
For the last few weeks I have been reflecting on my formation. I have been reflecting on formative experiences, people and events, each that have contributed to who I am becoming as a person. I made lists of formative things from my childhood, and things that God has uniquely formed in me. At the same… Continue reading What’s Your Story?