Why Is Loneliness A Thing?

Twentieth century novelist Thomas Wolfe said that the central and inevitable fact of human existence is loneliness. Whether we are introverts or extroverts, married or single, standing on the stage or sitting in the cheap seats, preaching sermons or listening to love songs, we all share the struggle to connect. I resonate with this thought. […]

When our family moved to Nashville from our 850 square-foot apartment in New York City, we were hoping for more living space… but not too much more. We had grown accustomed to the smaller space, which drew us together and enabled us to live more simply. We asked our realtor to find us a modest […]

When I was preparing in seminary to become a pastor, I was offered an internship at a local church. The pastor asked me what area of ministry I was interested in focusing on most. I told him I would do pretty much anything – teaching, adult discipleship, student ministry, missional living, worship and liturgy, or […]

When I was studying to go into ministry, one of the professors told us aspiring pastors that we should never expect to have close friends in the churches that we lead. It is always best, the professor said, to seek out friendships with people who are not part of our churches. At the time, I found this […]