About a Book I Recently Finished: “Letters to a Young Poet”

“Letters to a Young Poet” is authored by Rainer Maria Rilke (bio).  They were inspired by correspondence with Franz Xaver Kappus, an admirer and aspiring poet.  The 10 letters are Rilke’s replies to Kappus’ inquiries and writings.  As a whole, the letters are philosophical, initially revealing Rilke’s approach to writing, later his embrace of a life of “aloneness”.  Rilke is extraordinarily appreciative of Kappus’ and … Continue reading About a Book I Recently Finished: “Letters to a Young Poet”

Book Review: “Everywhere Babies”

As a pastor, I read for a living.  It may come as a surprise that I’m not a naturally avid reader.  I’ve always been slow and easily bored as a reader.  But as a dad, I like reading to my daughter.  Her books are poetic and inspiring.  They are simple but profound.  One of my new favorites is Everywhere Babies, by Susan Meyers.  There are … Continue reading Book Review: “Everywhere Babies”

How is an Atheist comforted in times of tragedy?

Quora is a neat webpage for asking questions and providing answers.  With tags and categories you can direct your question to a specific group of people (anyone following that topic).  You can also go on and search topics for questions.  As with any internet forum, there are trolls, but Quora does a good job of steering them away.  As a whole, Quora questions tend to … Continue reading How is an Atheist comforted in times of tragedy?

A First Appointment, By the Numbers

Today, I said good-bye to my first appointment.  The quality of my first appointment was very high: three churches of differing personalities.  I learned so much.  Foibles and failures notwithstanding, I think they learned a thing or two from me. Here is a quantitative look at my first pastorate. 3: Number of churches. 4: Number of years served at one church. 5: Number of years … Continue reading A First Appointment, By the Numbers