In 1833, an employee at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C., wrote the following letter: Dear Sir: Because everything that can be invented has already been invented, it is inevitable that this office should go out of business. Inasmuch as I shall soon lose my position, I hereby resign to look for work elsewhere. Sincerely, Up to that point, less than 500 patents had been applied for in the United States; but by the time World War I was over, more than 60,000 patents had been issued. Today the number runs in the millions.1 Clearly, that guy lacked vision. He could of used Lasik for his brain. We read something
I’m back! After a short sabbatical for the month of August, I’m ready to start blogging again. The manuscript for my book continues. After some saints of my church decided to clear out our Sunday School storage area (who wants to do that job?), an unusual question was posed. “What do we do with damaged Bibles?” I was not quite sure how to answer the question. I figured we could donate the Bibles to Salvation Army or another religious non-profit. After the damaged Bibles sat in a box outside of my office for a week, another church member asked about the Bibles. I told her that we were going to
I’m taking a short sabbatical from blogging till September (a collective “awwww man”). I have some personal deadlines I need to meet for the book I’m writing on associate pastor ministry for Judson Press. If all goes as planned, the book will be ready for the fall of 2011. I know that seems far away but it will come quickly. If something really pressing comes along in the news that I just have to respond to you may see a post. Come September, I’ll be back up and running at full speed with blogging
Many of us have heard of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) but how about WWJW (What Would Jesus Wear?) Check out this actual toy , on the right, that is sold in stores. I first thought this was a joke, but then I saw that you can buy this doll action figure for about $15. Based on this action figure, Jesus would wear just about anything. Including a 80′s boom box stereo (look close in the back ground) I’m glad to see a cross is there. I think. Some may see this as sacrilegious, but I think it is a point of reference for commentary in our culture. No longer
Thanks for the shout outs from bloggers who attended smAlbany on Tuesday. (Read the last post for my review) A few bloggers who attended the panel talk I was a part of had some great things to say: The World Through My Lens wrote, Mike Huber led a panel called Local Social Media and Your Customers. He asked about blogging and tweeting – why would you want to do it, and why would people care?… My favorite panelist was Rev. Al Rudnick. I am not huge on religion, but he explained how people are using Twitter and Facebook during church and how they encourage it. They even project it on
No, it is not the start to a lame joke, but I served as a panelist at smAlbany. smAlbany is a yearly small business gathering put on by Liberteks.com. This year was the 5th Annual smAlbany Small Business Expo. smAlbany focuses on the technology aspect of networking, business, and career development. I quickly discovered that smAlbany is a pejorative term for Albany, NY – “small-bany” The urban dictionary even has an entry for it. So how did a pastor end up on a panel for a business expo? Good question. In addition to my blog here, I also blog for the Times Union Newspaper as their protestant religion blogger. Michael
This past week I attended the first gathering of my Lewis Fellows cohort in and around Washington D.C. I blogged about the whole program and the reasons why the Lewis Center for Church Leadership focuses on young clergy. It was a wonderful experience to connect with other young clergy because there are so few of us. Also, ministering in Upstate New York, I do not get opportunities like this. It was extremely affirming to be in a gathering where younger clergy are seen as critical to the present and future Church. Our sessions were thoughtfully led by experts and leading pastors. Much of our discussion revolved around leadership, vision, practice
I’m away this Sunday, but our Area Minister Jane Lang will be preaching. Jane serves as the Area Minister for the Capital Area Baptist Association, Fransego, and Mid-Hudson/Union associations and is a former missionary to the Congo. She attended Central Baptist Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. Jane served three churches as either Pastor or Interim Pastor and been a chaplain at a nursing home. I have appreciated Jane’s leadership in CABA and for our church. This Sunday, we will have some lay people involved in worship and leading in different ways. I hope that you will join with the congregation in worshiping this Sunday
Part III: Sacrament vs. Ordinance: Guest Blogger, Tripp Hudgins (AngloBaptist). Check out Part I & Part II. Alan generously asked me to participate in this blog series on Baptist sacramentality and immediately I said yes. I wanted to chime in. But it took me a while to figure out how I could share my thoughts. As a baptist, I think the testimony might be the best mode of communication in this instance. I hope you will all bear with me. I was in seminary listening to a lecture on the Eucharistic Prayer, that traditional prayer that many denominations use when celebrating the Lord’s Supper. We were walking through some of
In churches, we often hear the warning giving to youth off to college, “You’ll lose your faith in college.” All those competing ideas about religion, philosophy, and knowledge working against everything a church has built up! I once had an old timer in my home church tell me right before I left for seminary, “Be careful, you can lose your faith in seminary!” Is there something about education and youth that are dangerous? Sordid stories of youth going wild in early adulthood often lead people to think that young people want nothing to do with church, God, religion or faith. In a surprising new study, we have learned that young
Sacrament or Ordinance (Part II) This is the second installment in this series. You can read the first installment here. Much to the ignorance of many modern day Baptists, the word “sacrament” was used by Baptist framers in their creeds a nd confessions. Yes, I said it. I used the words “Baptist” and “creed” in the same sentence. Recent Baptist history upholds that Baptists are non-creedal, however it is clear that Baptists in the 17th and 18th centuries used creeds. Later, Baptists called these creeds “confessions of faith” as did many other protestant groups. Baptists affirm the theological statements in the creeds but do not use them to be identified
I did not have my regular video camera with me but I wanted to share a few thoughts about the scriptures for this Sunday. I hope this works. Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and