Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast – What is detachment?  Can it influence the way we live and love?  Mark and Mike examine how attachment and detachment shape the way we relate, use power, and minister to each other.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 19:47 — 9.1MB)

Two Fools on the Road to Emmaus Podcast – Ever had a piece of turkey so dry it sucked the moisture right out of your brain?  Well Mike has (which explains a lot) and he expounds on this example as a flowery metaphor for those soul sucking relationships that always want to dominate our time.  How do we deal with people like that?  Is it okay to set some boundaries?  What role does guilt play in all this?  The guys expound on this and more.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 24:58 — 11.4MB)

(*I found this on the old Rock site and thought it was worth re-posting, for those who haven’t seen it)

A young pupil wanted to prove his commitment and trust in his teacher.  “Master, I want you to see how much I trust you with my life.  Give me a challenge, ask me to do anything, and I will do it—no matter how dangerous,” he spouted confidently.

“If you insist, I will not refuse you.  But take a night’s sleep before demanding this of me,” replied the teacher softly.

“Very well, I will take a night’s sleep.”

The next day the pupil returned more adamant than ever, “Please master, you must see how devoted I am to you.  It is important to me.”

“Alright, you have your test.  Go down into the forest and find where the Sapient river splits in two.  There you will see the Read the rest of this entry »

I was pondering an old axiom the other day—can’t see the forest for the trees—and struck by how deep it runs in life.  In particular I was applying it to our contemporary big-box-Christianity models of ministry.  I wasn’t doing this specifically to pick on an easy whipping boy; no, I was examining it because the words of several ex-pastors still ring clearly in my ears.  All of them were considered good at their job (or call, if you prefer a less crass descriptor), yet all of them were eventually led out of that vocation by the same Spirit which led them in.  In hindsight every one of them has relayed something similar to me: at the time they couldn’t see how large a role ego played in their ministry.  It’s not that they thought of themselves as problem free during the ministry years—they didn’t, and they were all aware of their battle with ego—it’s just that they couldn’t see to what extent their egos were infiltrating all of the decisions and actions they were taking. Read the rest of this entry »