Each week on the blog I get to share some of what I have seen, read, and found interesting and thought provoking over the past week. To help make sense of all of these links, I have grouped them by the following categories: Church and Ministry Thought & Practice; Cross-Sector Collaboration; Leadership Thought & Practice; Millennials; Neighbor Love; Social Media & Blogging; Stewardship; and Vocation. I hope you enjoy these links!
Church and Ministry Thought & Practice
For those of you preparing for worship and observing Reformation this weekend, check out Rev. Dr. David Lose’s thoughts on “Reformation Sunday/Pentecost 22B: Freedom!” Also, spend some time thinking about both the gospel of Mark passage for this weekend 10:46-52, as well as the appointed text from the gospel of John for Reformation with friend and professor Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis who wrote, “No More Silence (Mark 10:46-52).”
For those of you preparing for worship and following the Narrative Lectionary, Roger Nam shares a “Commentary on 2 Samuel 5:1-5; 6:1-5; Psalm 150.”
Karoline also shared her post from last week on “The Ability of Ableness.”
In a story that is utterly ridiculous, an “Oakland Gospel Choir Draws Nuisance Complaint, Faces $500 A Day Fine.” If you ask me, the people who complained should be the one facing a fine. This is ridiculous. I hope the choir continues its rehearsals as normal.
Blogger and pastor Clint Schnekloth shared some thoughts about church size and numbers in writing about, “The right size for church.”
LEAD shared an article from Word and World written by friend, blogger, and professor Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, about the importance and power of “Dwelling in the Word: Affirming Its Promise.”
This past week on this blog I shared some reflections and thoughts about my early experiences as a mission developer this year, writing about some, “Early Leadership Lessons from Life as a Mission Developer.”
Are you or someone you know looking for a new opportunity in worship and music ministry? If so, I encourage you to check out this exciting opportunity that is open at Messiah Lutheran in Vancouver, Washington.
Jan Edmiston asked, “Do Job Titles Matter?” Jan also pondered, “What if Pastors weren’t in Worship Every Sunday Either?” Give this a read and see what you think.
Friend, pastor, and blogger Diane Roth pondered about worship asking, “What Makes Worship Good?”
Christina Embree reflected about, “How We ‘Broke’ The Family.”
Pastor and blogger Andrew Bell articulated why he thinks that, “We in the #ELCA need more #exponential conversations.”
Cross-Sector Collaboration
Tom Murphy at The Humanosphere reports that, “Doctors Without Borders ramps up pressure for independent investigation of Afghan hospital attack.”
Tom also shared that, “This card game will end poverty…by making fun of aid.”
Friend and stewardship director Adam Copeland shared about, “Advice Giving & the Classroom.”
Social leadership theorist Julian Stodd shared a number of perspectives on change including: “Segmenting Resistance,” “Functional Inequality,” and “Overcoming Stasis.”
Leadership Thought & Practice
Steve Keating shared some leadership insights in explaining that, “Information is the Enemy of of Rumor,” and about, “The Destructive Nature of Can’t.”
Justin Irving shared and unpacked, “10 Life Lessons from Youth Sports.”
Skip Prichard shared thoughts and reflections from a conversation with author and CEO Cheryl Bachelder on “How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others.”
Dan Rockwell shared a number of helpful and insightful leadership reflections, including, “5 Ways Talented Leaders Sabotage Themselves,” and “10 Powerful Beliefs of Unstoppable Leaders.” What might you add to these two lists from your own experiences and observations?
Anne Loehr shared insights about leadership and emotional intelligence writing that “It Takes Courage to Use EQ.” Check out Anne’s thoughts and see why it takes courage.
In the November edition of the Harvard Business Review, there is an extended look at “The Best-Performing CEOs in the World.” Be sure and spend some time with this issue.
Ravin Gandhi explained about “3 Things All Successful Business Partnerships Need.”
Seth Godin shared some thoughts about change, leadership, and story, in writing about, “Offense and defense, a b2b insight.” Within this Seth begins, “Selling change to organizations is difficult. One reason is that change represents a threat, a chance for things to go wrong. It’s no wonder that many people avoid anything that smells of change. Another reason is that different people in the organization have different worldviews, different narratives.” Check out the post to see how Seth unpacks this further.
Jon Mertz at Thin Difference shares reflections about life, leadership, vocation, and purpose, writing “Purpose Threads.”
Millennials
Jeremy Chandler at Thin Difference explained about, “What Every Boss Wants from Millennials and How to Respond.”
Dylan Taylor shared a look at “How Millennials Are Redefining Leadership.”
Chelsea Krost shared a great and important post by Baldwin Cunningham looking at “What Makes Millennial Networking Different.”
Neighbor Love
Friend, blogger, and stewardship director Adam Copeland shared about a new venture from Mihee Kim-Kort called, “This Everyday Holy.”
Matt Calkins wrote about, “Why Bremerton coach Joe Kennedy’s stance on postgame prayer is admirable.” Check out this story to hear about a high school football coach, postgame prayer, and the supposed controversy that the combination of the two has created.
Friend, blogger, and artist Vonda Drees shared a number of beautiful posts over the past week. These posts included: “stillness reveals“; “faith, hope, love“; “letting go into Bigger seeing“; “deep time“; “on your mark, get set, question…“; and “awe is a lifesaver.”
Margaret Felice wrote and shared, “That marriage might make me holy.”
Friend, pastor, and blogger Aaron Fuller shared a “Sermon on Ruth and Irrational Love.”
Friend, blogger and pastoral associate Stefanie Fauth-Lemke also shared her sermon for this past weekend based on the Narrative Lectionary reading from Ruth 1, “Where you go, I will go…” reminding me of the song I sang to Allison that quoted that passage during our wedding. Stefanie also shared some great thoughts about, “Loving your neighbor…”
Sonia Nazario shared an important and powerful look at “The Refugees at Our Door.”
Friend and professor Dr. Mary Hess shared this post by Parker Palmer on “Breathing New Life into ‘We the People.'”
Over at The Salt Collective, friend, pastor, and blogger Stephanie Vos wrote, “Dear Future Humans, Sorry About All the Garbage.”
Bishop Michael Rinehart shared about, “A Lesson from Desmond Tutu.”
Friend, blogger, and graduate student Kristen Lee reflected about vocation, life, neighbor love and curiosity in sharing, “On Curiosity.” I am particularly struck by the closing question and reflections that Kristen shared. Kristen writes, “remaining isolated from the world is not what we are called to do as Christians. The church is not a place for us to remain complacent, a sanctuary from the realities of life. Instead, we are called to ‘bear one another’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2, NRSV). In order to take up the burden of the neighbor we need to know what those burdens are, and this is where curiosity comes into play. How can curiosity help you shoulder the burdens of your neighbor?”
Friend, pastor, and blogger Frank Johnson his sermon from this past weekend based on Mark 10:35-45, on “Becoming servants (and other surprisingly good things).”
Social Media & Blogging
Kim Garst explained about, “How Live-Streaming is Changing The Face of Social Media.”
Friend, blogger, and communications strategist Carrie Gubsch shared, “6 Creative Ways to Integrate Social Media and Email Marketing,” as compiled by Jimmy Daly.
Stewardship
Stefanie O’Connell wrote about and asked, “Pay Transparency: What if all salaries were public knowledge?” What do you think about the idea of “universal pay transparency”?
Kristi at Young Adult Money unpacked “12 Ways to Give Back that Don’t Involve Donating Money.” What might you add to this list?
Alvin Carlos shared about “5 Ways to Be Good Stewards of Our Money,” over at The Millennial Journal.
Vocation
Friend and professor Dr. Ron Byrnes shared another example of how the Pacific Northwest really is beautiful and the best in “Operation Pacific Northwest.”
Over on friend Julia Nelson‘s blog, Britta Gene shared a guest post as part of Julia’s regular installment of vocational and life reflections in “Tuesday Tea Time.”
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That concludes this edition of the links. I hope you have enjoyed them. As always, if you have particular questions or topics for me to think about on the blog, please share them. Also, if there are things you would like to see included in the links, please let me know that too. Until next time, thank you for reading and being part of the conversation. Blessings on your week! -TS
Image Credits: The Links; youth soccer; “faith, hope, love“; and “awe is a lifesaver.”
Timothy Siburg 