How many church leaders wake up every morning and plead with the Lord to save their ministry from themselves? Probably not many. That is likely because we tend to underestimate the pervasive, pernicious, and powerful presence of pride in our hearts and to...
“Be careful lest in fighting the dragon you become the dragon.” - Nietzsche Politics and elections really do matter. After all, if the wicked flourish, local communities can be devastated, nations can find themselves at war, and people can be denied hard-won freedoms,...
Before I became a pastor, I would not say I was estranged from a single soul. Almost 20 years in, the list is longer than I would have ever thought bearable. It includes some of my most intimate former friends and ministry partners: people whose names are etched on...
Have you ever had someone make an incorrect assumption about you? Maybe someone guessed you were younger than you really are, or maybe someone assumed you’d seen that super popular movie when you actually haven’t. Or perhaps you’ve experienced the more frustrating...
If you think back on your life, you will see that your story has been significantly shaped by words. Maybe your trajectory has been most deeply marked by that parent or mentor who spoke words of encouragement to you. Maybe the direction of your life shifted when a...
For some, the title of this little essay is a bit of an oxymoron. It is like “low-fat chocolate” or “non-alcoholic whiskey.” Hope-full Presbyterianism? That’s as weird as “happy Presbyterians,” am I right? I used to tell audiences that I loved the cover of my 2006...
Christine Gordon interviews Kathy Jenke and Rachel Stevener about their ministry with Grace Presbyterian of Silicon Valley.
Mike Khandjian from the Alliance for Mission & Renewal talks to his long-time friend Ray Cortese about ministry and how to make it over the long haul.
On June 23, 2016, I had the great privilege of preaching for the worship service at the PCA General Assembly in Mobile, Alabama. I preached on Acts 11:1–18 on the theme of “Making Room at the Table.” What was even more significant for me was that in the meeting that...
"'You know what I want? If somebody says, 'What denomination are you in?' and you say, 'The PCA' they would say, 'I have heard of you. That is the church where the weary and wounded are welcome.'" -Ray Cortese, A Beautiful OrthodoxyPastor Ray Cortese preached the...
