Confession: I have neglected this website for about two years. I’m back at it for a few reasons. One is that I’m now close enough
Category: Theology
Lifting up the meaning of life
Excuse my Mental Health Problems – Lecture to Tenn. Assoc. of Pastoral Therapists
“Excuse my Mental Health Problems.” Why Labeling Mental Illnesses Creates Victimhood, Irresponsible Excuses, and Ineffective Help. August 2, 2013 Lecture to the Tennessee Association of
Two Profound Quaker Ideas
Two Profound Quaker Ideas (first published in the Memphis Friends Newsletter) I have long thought that a meaningful aspect of what could be called
My Father is Dying
My Father is Dying This is unexpected. Not the dying. I’ve been expecting it for months. He’s 86, in bad health—it’s time to die. And
Understanding Grace
UNDERSTANDING GRACE Grace: a word that means everything from saying a prayer before a meal to a common woman’s name. Between those nouns is an
Believe Memphis Grizzlies
Our Memphis Grizzlies are currently on a run in the NBA Playoffs that is a major surprise to most of the basketball world. These are
Why Does A Therapist Need Personal Therapy?
Chris O’Rear, Director of the Pastoral Counseling Centers of Tennessee (Nashville) recently invited me to discuss my book, Building the Therapeutic Sanctuary with them. One
HIDDEN LOVE
Wendell Berry once wrote about a deceased friend, “He is hidden among all that is, and cannot be lost.” Recently, when my father was suffering
Foundations of Pastoral Counseling
In August I will be teaching a class entitled “Pastoral Counseling Foundations.” To prepare I’ve been reading three of the books that were central in
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
What is the church? This question becomes more important when the church finds itself in a crisis. It’s easy to take for granted what a