Antigua, Guatemala: Casa de Cony

We are “at home” in la Casa de Cony in Antigua, Guatemala where we will spend the next two weeks.  This is our second time to stay at Cony’s house–a delightful experience with the best hostess in Antigua!  Very convenient, delicious meals, wonderful times of  sharing, and many opportunities to practice Spanish. This morning I met Angela …

Copan: Casa de Cafe, Jan and Angela

I am writing this morning from Copan, sitting in the lobby of Casa de Cafe (a little bed and breakfast–yes it translates as the Coffee House).  Hooked up to the internet on my computer with a wireless connection in Copan, Honduras.  Incredible!  the picture is of Jan and Angela, our hostess. The afternoon temperature yesterday when …

Church “Wellness”

In psychiatry, researchers study not just the manifestations and causes of mental dysfunction or illness, but also ‘wellness,’ that which helps the patient become ‘more well.’  In education and business, for students and for companies respectively, increasingly the emphasis is to explore and develop strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses. In analyzing developing countries, debt …

A Community Called Salvation

Late last summer, Abingdon published Scot McKnight’s book, A Community Called Atonement. McKnight gives us theology–a more familiar word may be doctrine. How we understand atonement is central to the Christian Faith. But McKnight calls us see atonement as more than doctrine. Atonement is the purpose of God for his creation. McKnight wrote in his blog …

Children’s Ministry

From the introduction to Postmodern Children’s Ministry. The church’s ministry to children is broken. A cursory look doesn’t reveal its brokenness. From the outside children’s ministry looks healthier than ever. But it is broken. It’s broken when church leaders and senior pastors see children’s ministry as primarily a marketing tool. The church with the most …

Accurate News Headlines

Here’s my nomination for headline accuracy–I presume unintentional.  From today’s San Diego Union Tribune, online of June 17, 2008 (SignOnSanDiego.com):  “County Gay Marriages Come Off Without a Hitch”. “Without a hitch.”  Did they get hitched or not?  Marriage ceremonies, hoop-la, news coverage, media headlines.   Only one question:  did they get hitched?