Scott’s Blog

Since I’ve finished work on my thesis I’ve been digging back into more pastoral reading.  I’m immersing myself in books on preaching and pastoral ministry.  I try to follow C.S. Lewis’ advice of reading one “old” book for every new one.  (see his introduction to Athanasius’ On the Incarnation)  By doing so I’ve noticed that [...]

Mike Khandjian has a good post on our tendency to invest our ego into our sermons at Pooped Pastors. We don’t like to admit it but we preachers put a whole lot more weight on any given message than most would ever know. In a sense it is the highpoint of our own practical unbelief [...]

In seminary we were shown a video of an Eastern Orthodox liturgy. It included St. John Chysostom’s Easter Homily, which, we were told, is read every year as part of the Easter liturgy. I love the exuberant invitation of Chrysostom’s sermon and like to use it on Easter as the invitation to the Lord’s Supper. [...]

I guess this can be considered a Re-Blog. I found a great quote on Bill Streger’s Blog today: “The two cultural characters that capture what is most important in modernity are the psychologist and the manager. These characters now define what the professionalized pastor is becoming: in the pulpit, a psychologist whose business is to [...]

The Advent season draws our thoughts to the miracle of the Incarnation, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) – or as the Message colorfully paraphrases it “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood”.  Our salvation was not wrought by Jesus swooping down from Heaven in a single [...]

I worked as a youth minister for five years before taking my first pastorate. As a solo pastor I have continued to work with younger age groups. I have developed a set of rules for youth ministry to guide me, I’ve continued to refine them. I continue to realize that working with children and teens [...]

Got to see the Church this evening on a baseball diamond. No, it wasn’t a goofy worship stunt. A 12 year old in our Church lost his single-parent mother a few months back. His aunt and uncle have really stepped up to the plate and are doing a great job of taking care of him. [...]

Luke 24:13-35 The narrative of Jesus meeting the disciples on the road to serves as a wonderful image of the church in microcosm.  Yesterday evening I taught on the passage and wanted to share in brief some of the connections I see Luke pointing to in the event. ‘That very day’ – that is the [...]

Collin Hansen at Out of Ur has some good comments about the lack of rural minister: HERE

We had two visitors with us last night for our Wednesday evening fellowship meal and Bible study.  Andrew and Jacob, two young men from Wisconsin are bicycling through the area.  Apparently they got off course yesterday after biking from Jackson, TN in the rain.  One of our church members found them in the area and [...]