The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Berg is the founding and lead pastor of MainStreet Covenant Church in Minnetonka Beach, MN, where he has served since 2010. He is an adjunct professor of Biblical and Theological Studies who has taught classes at Bethel University, University of Northwestern—St. Paul, North Central University, Crown College, and Solid Rock Discipleship School. Jeremy earned a doctorate in New Testament Context under Scot McKnight at Northern Seminary (Chicago). He and his wife, Kjerstin, have three kids, Peter, Isaak and Abigail.
On Facebook and Instagram, we’re voluntarily inscribing the details of our lives in a book for the whole world to read. We’re leaving digital footprints in the social media sand that will someday, when we’re gone, reveal a lot about who we were and the kind of life we led. … More Job’s Digital Footprint
This week’s Words of Wisdom (WOW) come from ca. 500 BC. “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” -CONFUCIUS, Chinese philosopher
A sermon I gave at a beachside service this summer as we prepared to receive holy communion. “Cast your bread upon the waters and you will get it back in a few days. Divide your means seven ways, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2) The traditional … More Bread on the Waters
In out-of-the-way places of the heart, Where your thoughts never think to wander, This beginning has been quietly forming, Waiting until you were ready to emerge. For a long time it has watched your desire, Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, Noticing how you willed yourself on, Still unable to leave what you had outgrown. … More Poem for a New Beginning
Wise people have observed that we spend the first half of life living out the Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14–30), investing our time, talent and treasures in hopes of yielding a satisfying return that benefits ourselves and the greater good. This is largely an outward project of the Ego, as we try to prove … More The Journey Home
This is the final post in a 4 part series. Read part 1, part 2, and part 3. I’m writing this from a monastery where I am diving deeper into the writings of the ancient Desert Fathers and later mystics and spiritual masters such as Saint John of the Cross, Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen. … More Pastors as Spiritual Guides
I want to begin a new Wednesday tradition called “WOW.” Each Wednesday I will try to share some timeless “Words of Wisdom” (WOW) from across the centuries and various traditions. Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) – Roman Emperor & Stoic philosopher “First thing every morning tell yourself: today I am going to meet a busybody, an … More WOW – Marcus Aurelius
Modern day pastors have been all too willing to accept the role of a CEO running the church like a business, serving more as a visionary leader than a shepherd of souls. We’ve served the bottomline more than the “least of these.” Board rooms and whiteboards have replaced prayer chapels and the pastor’s study. More pastors … More Pastor: Shepherd or CEO?
What an amazing privilege to lead a community where lives are being impacted! Just came across this video from a while back and wonder what new “impact stories” we’ll be sharing in the near future. Been thinking about checking out MainStreet sometime? This Sunday, November 3, is 2020 Vision Sunday. Come worship with us at … More 2020 Vision Sunday
As a 6′-7″ tall dude, I’ve had a hard time relating to Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” who couldn’t see Jesus because of the crowd. In a crowd of people, I am the “tree” that many are trying to see around! … More A New Vantage Point
The big box “church-as-business” model that arose in the last quarter of the 20th century was a complete (and short-lived) anomaly in the long 2,000 year history of Christian ministry. It rode the wave of American-styled capitalism and is grounded in the values of American consumerism and market driven strategies — not the New Testament … More From Big Box to Big Souls
Over three decades ago, my late hero and Protestant “Saint” (if Presbyterians canonized people) Eugene Peterson wrote the following in the opening paragraphs to his book on pastoral ministry called Working the Angles (1987): “American pastors are abandoning their post, left and right, and at an alarming rate. They are not leaving their churches and getting … More Reclaiming the Pastoral Vocation
Anyone interested in a sample of my academic work, here’s a full essay on race and ethnicity in the ancient world and today. (I shared a few sections a few weeks back.) Dr. Dennis Edwards said of it, “This is great, dare I say prophetic!” Unfortunately, the formatting and footnotes did not transfer to the … More One Body, Many Ethnic Parts
“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” ― Isaac Asimov “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” ― Aristotle “Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.”―St. Paul
I aspire to be a broad-minded person with strong convictions. I hope to inspire and cultivate this rare combination in those I teach and lead as a pastor. I fall short of this ideal daily, but we’re at least aiming for the right goal. Why is this a rare combination? Consider the two popular alternatives. On … More The Middle Path to Civility
In this cultural moment when so many are seeking holistic healing, holistic medicine, Whole Foods, and whole-bodied spiritual practices (e.g., meditation, yoga, etc.), Christian teachers have such an opportunity to share the holistic message Jesus taught. Yet, I fear too many pastors and churches are still drunk on the leftover wine of ancient Gnostic and … More Mind, Body, Spirit & Doritos
Here’s a retelling of a parable through the lenses of the Enneagram. Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in their False Self, thinking they were the better personality Type and regarded other Enneagram Types with contempt: “Two different personality types went up to the temple to pray, one a self-righteous Type One and … More A Parable Retold
“The obviously well kept secret of the “ordinary” is that it is made to be a receptacle of the divine, a place where the life of God flows.” -Dallas Willard … More A Breathtaking Reality
As a Type Five on the Enneagram, I have found myself both amazed by the uncanny accuracy and profound insights of this system, while harboring my own skepticism about its fuzzy origins and claim that every person fits into one of nine categories. I’ve been a true Five, investigating it at a fast and furious pace, devouring several … More A Skeptics Journey with the Enneagram
Here’s another letter from Fenelon (1651-1715): Dear friend, I am happy to hear of your frame of mind, and to find you communicating in simplicity everything that takes place within you. Never hesitate to write me whatever you think God requires. It is not at all surprising that you have a sort of jealous ambition … More Spiritual Letters: Fenelon (Letter 7)
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” -Psalm 139:14 If human beings are indeed created in the image and likeness of a Triune God, then we should not be surprised if ongoing explorations of the human psyche reveals a kind of 3-fold nature. In a recent … More Human Psyche & the Triune God
We just returned from a week in Orland, Florida. My parents treated their grandkids and us to a week at a fancy resort and Disney World adventures. In the midst of meeting Mickey, visiting Hogwarts Castle, riding roller coasters and carrying tired kids and their souvenirs for miles in the hot sun, we also had … More A Lesson from the Lizard
LECTIONARY REFLECTION | Psalm 119:97-104 In 1983 a shaggy haired rock ’n roller John Cougar Mellencamp released a new ditty called “The Authority Song.” The song captures the rebellious spirit of a teenager railing against authority figures who, in his mind, love putting people in their place and sucking all the fun out of life. … More Boulevard of Broken Dreams
I’m still slooowly making my way through the classic introduction to the contemplative life by Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. I read/listen to a few paragraphs each day on my morning walk. Each sentence is rich and juicy but takes time to ponder and digest. Here’s a few samples: “We thank Him less by words than … More Mornings with Merton
Jeremy Berg 