Pandemic Pastors
February 24, 2022
Why are clergy in such a funk? A long list of contributing factors surfaced in my recent communications with pastors. … More Pandemic Pastors
Category: pastoral leadership
Viral Jesus For an Infected Church
February 11, 2022
I saw an ad today inviting leaders, content creators, and influencers to learn how to make their faith go viral. What if we instead focus on helping Jesus’ faith and ethics go viral? … More Viral Jesus For an Infected Church
Jesus-Centered?
January 26, 2022
Here’s a peace by Kurt Willems on a topic that I’m passionate about. What does it mean to be a Jesus-centered church? What are the alternatives? … More Jesus-Centered?
‘Spirit’ and ‘Truth’ for a New Year
December 31, 2021
The past year revealed many Christians being animated by the wrong “spirit” and buying into lies and misinformation rather than the truth. Here’s some wisdom from Jesus for the New Year. … More ‘Spirit’ and ‘Truth’ for a New Year
Wise Teaching
August 13, 2021
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus drew huge crowds. There was an irresistible enigma to him. He is the ultimate charismatic teacher and leader. What is it about Jesus’ teaching and his style of teaching that was so attractive? … More Wise Teaching
Wise Politics
August 9, 2021
Wise politics are incarnational. World-based politics is inherently divisive. It creates an us-against-them mentality. The very idea of a political party breeds separation. A gospel ethic goes to those with whom they disagree and sacrifices for their well-being. … More Wise Politics
Wise Church Economies
August 5, 2021
Wisdom in general can be defined as “life within limits” and that is true of material possessions as well. The Bible presents another sort of Goldilocks situation when it comes to money—both riches and poverty pose spiritual dangers. But there is a wealth target that is just right. … More Wise Church Economies
Welcome to Kingdom Harbor!
August 4, 2021
For the past 12 years I have called my blog Daily Illumination. I am expanding and broadening my online ministry platform, and today would like to introduce a new theme I am trying out. Introducing “Kingdom Harbor.” … More Welcome to Kingdom Harbor!
What Is Wisdom?
July 31, 2021
I’m excited to share a series of chapter summaries by my fellow doctoral graduates from the book we published together called Wise Church: Forming A Wisdom Culture in Your Local Church. Today’s chapter is “What is Wisdom?” … More What Is Wisdom?
MainStreet in the News
July 26, 2021
“We’re living in this moment where we think of pastors as these guys or gals leading religious organizations, preaching on a Sunday for one-hour, but for most of history they’ve been spiritual guides walking with people in a more personal way.” … More MainStreet in the News
A Mustard Seed Future For the Church
June 17, 2021
If people could open up my mind and peek into my thought-world, they’d find an amusement park full of wild ideas rising and falling like rollercoasters, a hyper-colored circus full of spiritual insights roaming like elephants a under the big tent, and outside the box ministry visions shooting across my mind like clowns out of a cannon. … More A Mustard Seed Future For the Church
Leader, Preacher, or Curate of Souls?
April 16, 2021
My thesis flows out of the sobering realization that sermon-centric pastoral ministry is inadequate to the task of bandaging hearts, healing wounds, and forming souls at the deeper levels. Dynamic preaching may grow a church, but alone it will not grow disciples. … More Leader, Preacher, or Curate of Souls?
The Island of Misfit Pastors
April 13, 2021
I often feel like I am treading water in a sea of strong and savvy senior pastors, watching them stand proudly at the helm of their mighty cruise ships, while I barely keep afloat while clinging desperately to a piece of driftwood—ancient driftwood that may contain the secret to our true pastoral calling. … More The Island of Misfit Pastors
The Good Pastor
April 9, 2021
My fancy bound dissertation came in the mail this week! In the coming days, I want to share several excerpts from the introduction and concluding sections of my thesis. … More The Good Pastor
MLK on Pandering to Religious Consumers
February 18, 2021
We so easily become bound by a common social status or style of music rather than by Jesus’ word, table, or cross because in a free market the customer, rather than Christ, is king. … More MLK on Pandering to Religious Consumers
What do you think?
February 17, 2021
What do you think of these six leadership qualities? Which is lacking most among leaders today? Which is the hardest for you? … More What do you think?
Church, Don’t Go Back to Normal
February 10, 2021
Having thousands of people attending your church, whether it be in person or online, doesn’t indicate that you have a healthy church. It means you have a popular church. The number of views on your Facebook video don’t always translate into hearts being changed. … More Church, Don’t Go Back to Normal
The Impress of a Friend’s Hand Upon His Letter
February 9, 2021
I love words. I especially love when God stoops down and kisses us through another’s words. The Word becomes flesh again and makes His presence known through a thoughtful card from a friend, or an encouraging chat over coffee, or a personal letter from a pastor. … More The Impress of a Friend’s Hand Upon His Letter
Mister Rogers Among the Sages
January 29, 2021
I’m in the final laps of my doctoral dissertation. Here’s a piece I wrote along the way reflecting on Fred Rogers in relation to my thesis on recovering wisdom culture and the place of the “sage” in ministry today. … More Mister Rogers Among the Sages
The Word is Dynamite
January 27, 2021
God’s Word to us doesn’t always have shiny wrapping and a big red bow attached. God’s Word isn’t always warm and fuzzy. God’s Word sometimes needs to hit us like a ton of bricks. When we open our Bibles we stumble into an old library full of stories of holy confrontations and sacred summons. … More The Word is Dynamite
Correct, Rebuke and Encourage
January 11, 2021
Dear Church, It pains and sickens me to post this photo, but this is where we find our nation at this moment. The worst part of Wednesday, in my opinion, was all the people carrying Jesus signs and crosses and dragging Jesus’ name into this display of hatred and evil. Last Wednesday morning, I headed … More Correct, Rebuke and Encourage
When the Spirit Builds the Church
November 7, 2020
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow” (Tozer). … More When the Spirit Builds the Church
Shipwrecked 2: Jonah and the Despised Other
October 19, 2020
The Book of Jonah is a Sunday school favorite, yet hidden beneath its cartoon like drama lies a very scathing socio-religious warning—a warning aimed at the people who would claim to be on “God’s side.” … More Shipwrecked 2: Jonah and the Despised Other
Wielding Words with Wisdom
October 12, 2020
“O Gracious and Loving God, the ancients believed that writing is a sacred gift from you. Send me the gift of words so that I can say what must be said in a way that will cause as little pain as possible. Inspire me with your wisdom and guide my hand as I write.” ― EDWARD HAYS … More Wielding Words with Wisdom
Chasing the Fading Glow
October 8, 2020
While some people’s midlife crisis leads them to buy a motorcycle or start running marathons, my midlife crisis led me to stop chasing the fading glow of Sunday. … More Chasing the Fading Glow
Jeremy L. Berg 