Archive - Meaningful Conversation

What They Hear When You Ask Them to Attend

Most people couldn’t wait for the summer. I had to brace myself for it. I’m a pastor of a small church in New York City. This means that while I naively…

Aug 2, 2022 •

July 2022

When I Don't Feel Forgiven

How to locate our grief and find grace.

Jul 7, 2022 •

June 2022

The Pastor's Struggle to Address Abortion

I finally emailed my church at 2:07AM on Saturday. No one pressured me into this, but I knew that if I remained silent, social media would pick up the…

Jun 29, 2022 •

Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the Moral Philosophy of Jack Bauer

This article was originally published on my previous blog in October 2020. The 2016 election of President Donald Trump created significant…

Jun 25, 2022 •

When Marriage is Divided by Ministry

Note: A different version of this article was originally published on TGC. Of all the things that confirmed the call to church planting, nothing…

Jun 1, 2022 •

April 2022

The Absurdity of Preaching

I couldn’t wait to preach. The passage had done its work in me, challenged my mind, burrowed into my heart, and awakened me to joy and repentance. It…

Apr 20, 2022 •

Leaving the American Dream for the Good Life

I found the good life but it was not in the American dream. When I was two years old, my parents left the land they loved so that my sister and I could…

Apr 1, 2022 •

February 2022

Why the Church Struggles to be a Family

Of all the metaphors that God has used to describe his church, “the family of God” is the most challenging for me to accept. I’ve wanted to explore why…

Feb 1, 2022 •

January 2022

The Shame and Dignity of Pastoral Ministry

When ministry feels like the source and solution to our shame

Jan 14, 2022 •

August 2021

When Ministry is Not What You Envisioned

Reflections on our unmet expectations

Aug 8, 2021 •

The Rules of Engagement

Making disciples in the political divide

Aug 4, 2021 •

The Facts and Feelings of Tragedy

For when a police officer shoots a black man in America

Aug 4, 2021 •

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