Invite. It’s the second of my three words this year. (The first is Kingdom). For several years, I’ve talked about the difference between inviting and announcing. In church settings, as in other group settings, there are announcements. We tell people about events that are coming. And then we get frustrated when they don’t come. I […]

I was trying to answer the Lent question. My friend said, “Describe the feeling that people are experiencing that observing Lent could help with.” I wrote, “You feel frustrated with faltering again on goals and resolutions.” And I laughed. The truth is that many of us describe our failures. We started the year with a […]

I published “Lent for non-Lent people” two years ago. It’s a collection of short reflections to be read, one per day, during the seven weeks before Easter, starting on “Ash Wednesday” (February 10). I asked a friend to help me sell the book this year. She said, “Can you describe the feeling that people are […]

First published January 7, 2013. Updated for 2016. You can plan now to make something happen every Monday in 2016. All you have to do is one of these: Tell your child/children you are grateful they are alive. Ask God for wisdom for the decisions you have to make this week. Drink a large glass […]