In an essay he wrote in 1930, John Maynard Keynes predicted a 15-hour workweek by 2030, when we’d all have time to enjoy “the hour and the day virtuously and well.” During the 1950s during the post-WWII boom in productivity, along with rising incomes and standards of living, led economists and politicians to predict that … More The Busyness Trap: Sabbath Practice Part 1
You love Jesus. You love learning. You’re interested in serving in ministry. The question comes up… Should you go to seminary? It’s a spiritual question, of course, but it’s a practical one as well. I’m deeply grateful for my seminary degree and experience, but there are a few things I wish I would have thought … More So You Want to Go to Seminary
One of the Sabbath practices at our home is listening to a sermon. It’s one of our ways of worshiping as members of God’s great congregation in a way we don’t get to do when we are leading worship on Sundays. One blogger I know describes leading worship as being “on, like Beyoncé at a concert on.” … More Top 10 Sermons Winter 2015/Spring 2016
When my husband Daryl and I first started dating, one of our pastors asked us to be his newborn daughter’s godparents. We were honored, but also a bit miffed. “We’re not…married,” I said to Pastor K. “I’m aware,” he said. “Then how can we…?” asked Daryl. “You’re both wonderful people,” K said, “and even if you … More Appearance and Truth
My husband and I had a grumpy friend in seminary who always wore a scowl. Yet on Easter morning, Daryl walked by him and the man was beaming from ear to ear. “You okay?” Daryl asked. He’d actually never seen the guy smile before. “It’s Easter!” the man exclaimed. “It is just the BEST day!” … More Easter’s YES
(My husband and son, enjoying our church’s Palm Sunday worship.) I missed Palm Sunday this year. I wasn’t at church on Palm Sunday for I what I truly think was the first time ever. From my days of little girl jelly shoes to high school years in the church’s youth group trailer (yeah, we kept it classy) to college … More On Missing Palm Sunday
Are you the mother of a preschooler or an infant? Have you thought about finding a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group? It’s my second year in MOPS, and it has been awesome. So for this week’s Top 10 Tuesday, the Top 10 Reasons to Join a MOPS Group. 10. This parenting thing? It is haaaaaaard. … More Top 10 Reasons to Join MOPS
I’m a generally happy person. The only ministry job I’ve ever resigned from was hospice chaplain. I love end-of-life care, but nine hours of hospice a day almost did me in. I used to come home and cry for hours. Daryl would talk about a difficult test he took at school, and I’d respond, “Really? … More Sitting in the Sad
At our birth conference a couple of weeks ago, our midwife* asked Daryl if he wanted to help catch the baby when it’s born. His face went white. “Well, I… I mean… I would love to… It’d be really amazing, but what if… what if I…” “Drop it?” she asked. “Um, yeah,” he said, sheepishly. “I’m not … More Our Helper
One of the best-kept secrets in ministry is how much pastors love their congregations. The best pastors always get a bit personally attached, no matter how good their boundaries are, because ministry is an all-in endeavor. When you’re sharing meals and life, praying at hospital bedsides, baptizing babies, officiating at weddings, crying at funerals, working alongside … More I Hold You in My Heart
Courtney Ellis 