by Lisa Degrenia | Nov 9, 2021 | Advent, Uncategorized
Advent Wreath Prayers: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love © 2013 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com For those looking for an advent wreath reading, these readings by TPW contributor Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia are a great place to start. Focused on the four themes of Advent,...
by Bill Gaultiere | Nov 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
Advent is a celebration of the coming of Christ — and the whole Trinity! I wonder if you’ve ever meditated on the Trinity? This has been one of the most important practices in my life. What a blessing to see the way the Father, Son and Spirit love and honor one...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Oct 24, 2021 | Communion, The Founder's Desk
In the sacrament of communion, we celebrate our union with Christ and also with the family of God. Â As we do this, we come up against the human struggle to live in unity, which plays out in many places, including the church.I feel tempted to despair at times....
by Bill Gaultiere | Oct 22, 2021 | Spiritual Darkness
The warmth of God’s presence can be elusive. In his secret journal, Henri Nouwen is vulnerable about a dark season in which he couldn’t feel God’s love. He’d helped millions of other people around the world into a more tender and intimate experience with God, but he...
by Bill Gaultiere | Oct 8, 2021 | Bullying, Leadership
Have you ever been bullied by a group? Or felt ganged up on? Maybe it wasn’t intended by them, but you felt abused? I have. So have some of the pastors and influencers we help. So has Jesus… Lord Jesus, I see you on your cross journey. A whole gang of soldiers is...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Oct 6, 2021 | Leadership
Like many of you, I have been listening to Christianity Today’s podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. It is a sobering listen, and hopefully a powerful reminder that as ministry leaders, we need accountability both with God and with other leaders we can...
by Bill Gaultiere | Sep 24, 2021 | Uncategorized
It seems everybody loves Saint Francis. But few really know him. We like our garden statues of a somber man holding a bird, but this is not the real Francis of Assisi from the 12th Century. Instead, picture an energetic and jovial little man, known in his day as...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Sep 21, 2021 | The Beatitudes, The Founder's Desk
This blog post started as the introduction to a book review (details below), but I rather quickly realized I had two posts on my hands, not one: There are two quotes about the beatitudes that I love: “Our present day Christianity, anemic and weak from parasites that...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Sep 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
I recently read through Mark Scandrette’s book, The Ninefold Path of Jesus: Hidden Wisdom of the Beatitudes. I picked it up partially for the same reason Mark wrote the book, that is, a growing conviction that the Beatitudes should be more central to my life and...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Sep 16, 2021 | Pain
A couple weeks ago I was having a conversation with another pastor and the book of Job came up. This friend said something that has stuck with me ever since. He said, “You know, the end of Job isn’t very satisfying for us. God says essentially, “I am...
