PHA: Take Time To Honor Mentors Who Light the Way

October 15, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the loss of loved ones. This year at Northaven we’ve experienced the deaths of several key leaders. First, there was Charles Delphenis, who was known for welcoming visitors for years and years. There was Mike Pybas, who was “Mr. Volunteer” at several Dallas nonprofits. Bill Warrick, our head usher […]

PHA: How Our Pets Challenge Us To Live Our Best Lives

September 19, 2014.Reading time 1 minute.

I named my first dog in the deli section of the Preston Royal Tom Thumb when I was 5 years old. We were adopting a beagle puppy (probably because of Snoopy). My mom had been bugging me to think of a name, but nothing was coming to mind. So, we stopped at the grocery store […]

My Eulogy for Rev. William K. McElvaney

September 8, 2014.Reading time 22 minutes.

As you might imagine, I’ve prayed a long time about what to say today. What can I say to honor a man who was, no joke, my favorite professor in seminary, and later the emeritus pastor of this great church I’ve had the ridiculous good fortune of serving for years? What could sum up all […]

The Spin Cycle

September 3, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’ve been feeling pretty bad the past few days. Just run down, tired. My bones hurt. That doesn’t happen to me very often. But my joints literally hurt. I’m virtually positive that it’s the cumulative events of the past two weeks….the loss of the two Bills at Northaven –Bill McElvaney and Bill Warrick. Both were […]

Video Remembrances of Bill McElvaney

August 24, 2014.Reading time less than 1 minute.

As many of you will know, Dr. Bill McElvaney died earlier today. I will most definitely have much more to say about Bill in the coming days and weeks. But, for now, I am remembering a great night at the Perkins Distinguished Alumnus Awards Event in 2013. Bill got the award that night, and I […]

Whatever They Prove, It Won’t Be Faith

August 15, 2014.Reading time 10 minutes.

Here they go again. A group of “Creation Scientists” are back in the news with their goal of proving the literal truth of the Biblical creation story. What they’re trying to do is not “news,” of course. It’s a decades old struggle of a fundamentalist, literalist faith against the truth of science. From the story: […]

When Citizens Become the Nail

August 14, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

Ferguson is a mess. If journalists can be arrested for no reason whatsoever, (hauled out of a McDonald’s, with their press credentials clearly visible) just imagine how average citizens of Ferguson are being treated. Mistrust is at the heart of all that is happening there. Police are unwilling to answer even the most basic questions […]

After The Laughter, The Waves of Dread

August 12, 2014.Reading time 11 minutes.

To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it.” — Charlie Chaplin That quote has been a favorite of mine for many years. It’s never felt more achingly true than tonight, as I sit here processing the death of Robin Williams. How painful and beautiful to read the spontaneous […]

An Open Letter to Ann Coulter, from a Card Carrying “Christian Narcissist”

August 8, 2014.Reading time 10 minutes.

“Those crazy Christians, go and jump on some airplane And fly to Africa or Haiti, risk their lives in Jesus’ name…” –Brad Paisley Dear Ann Coulter, I hesitated before writing this open letter to you. I’m writing about your column about Dr. Kent Brantly titled, “EBOLA DOC’S CONDITION DOWNGRADED TO ‘IDIOTIC’” But you get so […]

Caring About “Credit” In a Different Way

August 6, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

There an old adage you’ve heard before that goes, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Lots of people attribute this to Harry Truman. Others attribute it to Ronald Reagan. Still others, Albert Einstein. Like many aphorisms, the real answer is likely “none of the above.” […]