My wife was undergoing a routine procedure at a local hospital (everything is fine, just a check up) and I decided to walk around a bit. This is a hospital I have visited on different occasions as a pastor. They have a prayer labyrinth that I decided to walk. 1/ As I walked the labyrinth this idea popped into my head: "Doug, you left a piece of yourself here." I began to think about all the traumatic experiences I had walked into at that hospital when I pastored. 2/

They are coming to fix our heat pump today so I am spending some quiet time with my soon to be departed money. Update: Heat pump guy looking serious as he goes back and forth from inside to outside the house. This does not look good. Might run down to the plasma center...

I genuinely want people to read what I've written. If the Lord doesn't return soon and I die of old age and natural causes, my books will still be available to read. They will be one of the last things that still speak for me and my time on this planet. They matter to me. 1/ I'm dyslexic and my mother spent thousands of hours teaching me how to read and become a writer. This led to an AA at a community college, a BA at a university, and a M.Div and D.Min at seminary. Every paper was extensively edited by my mother or my wife. 2/

I've been thinking a lot about theological accountability lately. I have a Doctorate of Ministry degree and truly see the value of theological education. However, I also see the dangers of academia, particularly academia in isolation. 1/ As an adjunct professor, I loved teaching students who were eager to hear what I had to say. The classroom environment was incredibly affirming to this pastor's heart. Instead of seeing folded arms in the back of the church, I saw people taking notes and really participating. 2/

Many of you will know this stuff already but I'm going to make a quick thread on simple food prep stuff. First, don't ever buy cocktail sauce. It is simply ketchup and horseradish mixed together. Add more horseradish for more spice, and more ketchup for less spice. 1/ Tartar sauce is super easy to make as well. Just dice up pickles and mix into a cup of mayo. Add pickle juice to taste. That's pretty much it. You can add garlic and other stuff if you want, but it is not needed. 2/

Living with dyslexia helped me learn how to receive editing feedback. I've spent thousands of hours with others in the editing process. My parents, wife, friends, and various professional editors have all helped edit my work. Their feedback made me a better writer. 1/ When I was a young boy, Mom spent many hours teaching me how to put my thoughts on the page. I struggled with basic spelling, grammar, and reading comprehension. Even so, she frequently told me that I was a writer. I believed her and did the necessary work. 2/

The trajectory of a faithful church planter. You plant a church & maintain a small struggling community that impresses no one in your life. You go to denominational meetings & relentlessly hear that you need to grow bigger. You keep pastoring regardless of the lack of support. 1/ You faithfully pastor that little church for many years, often unable to pay your salary or afford basic stuff like dental care, rent, mortgage, Christmas presents and even simple, local vacations. Still you hear monthly, yearly how you need to do more to grow the church. 2/

I'm not trying to be a doomsayer and I know God builds the church. Regardless, I see some pastor trends on the horizon that are troubling. Before the pandemic, many denominations were facing the issue of trying to replace retiring pastors. This problem is still present. 1/ Some denominations are struggling to replace retiring pastors because there are fewer young pastor willing take a lead pastor role. They're not attracted to the current unrealistic demands of that role & are reluctant to take over declining, conflict-filled churches. 2/

As our entertainment becomes more segmented and varied, we have less cultural events that spur collective conversations. Even if there was a water cooler to gather around, we would all be talking about different things. Even so, we still desire collective, shared experiences. 1/ Because we desire collective, shared experiences as the world becomes more fractured in our entertainment options, I think people will gravitate more to political extremism. Uniting around a shared political experience makes us feel less alone, or more connected to each other 2/

I was at a pizza buffet many years ago and they got behind on providing a variety of pizzas. This led to each person nervously watching to see if a new pizza would arrive on the buffet. As soon as they put one down, people scampered up & placed half the pizza on their plate. 1/ If everyone had just taken one piece, the kitchen would have caught up fairly quickly. Instead, each person took as much pizza as they could fit on their plate, fearful that they might be left without. I watched in profound sadness. 2/

I know that some of you were raised in very legalistic, controlling homes. You were often accepted or rejected based on how well you followed rules you had no say in developing, implementing, or enforcing. This took a toll on your self-worth, confidence, and feelings. 1/ Legalistic environments can make children feel loved when they do things right and rejected when the do things wrong. This can created perfectionist tendencies, where we try to be forever perfect. Or it creates a fatalism where we give up, knowing we will never be good enough. 2/

I’ve frequently found myself to be an outsider in Christian groups, not conservative or progressive enough for whatever group I try to exist in. And yes, I can already here people telling me what’s wrong with being a moderate too. Honestly, I’ve just tried to be me in Christ. 1/ Sometimes people assume I’m virtue signaling when I try to simply explain me. But I don’t know what else to do but to explain myself as I am. Not saying my existence is more right or virtuous, it is simply just my existence. 2/

I’ve got some words of encouragement for those of you who want to create: write a song, paint a painting, compose a poem, make jewelry, really do whatever. Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to create a “worthy” finished product. It doesn’t have to be this way. 1/ Try to see your journey towards creating as having value in the doing. The value isn’t in the ultimate product but in the time you spend exercising your creative muscles. Think of your journey like playing a round of min-golf just because it’s fun, not because you gotta win. 2/

If you're like me, you've probably experienced some alienation the last few years, culminating in how people are responding to this pandemic. I honestly feel like I have almost nothing in common with the discernment of some of my fellow Christians. Hard not to feel hopeless. 1/ I've been asking myself many questions, such as "Is Christianity declining or was much of it even ever Christianity?" I sometimes wonder if I ever really knew some of my Christian friends or if we ever really believed some of the same foundational truths. 2/

I've got a good relationship with my kids, but here are some things I wish I'd done differently:
1. I wish I'd asked more questions without expectation of the right answer. I wish I had simply let them know that I love their ideas, perceptions and processing. 1/ 2. I wish I'd let them plan more family outings. I was too quick to think my ideas were better. I should have taken seriously the simple & unique ways their plans differed from mine.
3. I should have worried less about what we did on vacation. Should have gone with the flow. 2/

After pastoring 22 years in the same church, I've seen some trends. One trend is almost every fall people feel led by God to leave the church. I've had more "led by God to leave" discussions in the fall than any other season. 1/11 Now maybe God just really likes to lead people to leave churches in the fall, but I have often suspected something else is happening. Sometimes, but not always, people seem to feel led to leave in the fall when they have been pretty disconnected from the church all summer. 2/11

I've pastored the same church for 22 years. This is the only church I've pastored. I began with the conviction that I would not treat our congregation like a products, brand or corporate strategy. I wouldn't create something to entertained people if God wasn't present. 1/ For me, my pastorate has been a conversation with God. I have decided to see if the presence of God is really enough to sustain a church. I want the story of our church to be God's strength, not my strength. 2/

I understand sometimes people use humor to diffuse the emotional weight of difficult situations. As a pastor, I've certainly experienced people joking around a hospital bed while confronting bleak information. However, I word of caution about how we talk about the coronavirus. 1/ If you are not emotionally attached to the effects of the current virus outbreak, you might want to hesitate with making a joke about it. For people in population centers most effected, we are already experiencing some bleak consequences. 2/

A couple years ago I was introduced to this elaborate discipleship making program with high levels of accountability. It looked a little legalistic to me, but people raved about the results. 1/ Later I heard the pastor who developed that program speak at a conference. He came off as kind of arrogant and sort of a classic far right republican unable to distinguish Christ from culture. Nice guy, but not a model of Christ-likeness. Of course, he did have a big church. 2/

I’m preparing to speak at a men’s retreat today and tomorrow. This is a privilege. Today my heart has been tender to my limitations. Not in a self-defeating way but a practical way. I am increasingly becoming aware of my limitations, my inability to transcend myself. 1/ No matter how much life I live or how well I fortify my theological convictions, I still have a heart that is easily wounded. I cannot escape the part of me that has and does and will hurt deeply when I’m sinned-against. My skins thickness cannot be calloused. 2/

Some observations about Christians and the restaurant industry. I worked in the restaurant industry throughout High School and my first 4 years in college. I learned a lot about Christians while working as a waiter and a manager. Sundays and the church rush were terrible. 1/ Many waitstaff did not want to work on Sundays. Primarily because the Christians would exit their churches and head to our small town family restaurant. They'd sit at their individual large tables, talk about how great church was, while making our jobs incredibly difficult. 2/