Tonight I witnessed what has to have been one of the greatest college football games of all time. The National Championship on the line.Texas 41 USC 38In a game that went down to the wire. Literally.I must confess, I am elated. My UCLA Bruins have lost for seven years in a row to the weenies … Continue reading Congratulations Longhorns / Bruin Confessional

After months of my teasing, encouraging, humoring, pleading, and cajoling, my good friend, Dr. Neil McLeod has decided to start his own blog. Neil is the consummate definition of a Renaissance Man; husband, father, dentist, Boy Scout leader, churchman, world traveler, reader, writer, poet, ship-in-a-bottle-builder, tree-house constructor (not kidding), wine aficionado, and lover of people.Stop … Continue reading A New Member in The Blogosphere

It's New Year's. I flipped on CNN last night, and found (as usual) thousands of people already standing in 36 degree drizzling rain, waiting for the big moment. On the surface, it sounds nuts. But you know what? Before I require a walker to get around, I told my wife I might like to be … Continue reading 2005 In Review The definitive Top 10 List Linkorama

As the events of the past year have shown us, the universal church is still one of the most visible forms of the Body of Christ. But often, it is not a pretty thing to look at. Not the perfect ad agency male model, nor the youthful sublime frame of a lovely female fashion star. … Continue reading The Tragic Opera of a Church

The picture here is from a gathering at our home about a week ago, when friends from five families, all old friends from church from many years ago, reunited for an evening. Our guests were Mike and Christina Hogg, and their family. Mike is Pastor of Canal Street Presbyterian Church in New Orleans, and I … Continue reading Christmastime Reunion

This is our house, last night, Christmas Eve. Several years ago my sweet wife, ever the initiator and go-getter, proposed that our entire block participate in the Mexican tradition of Christmas Luminarias. And now, every house on our block is part of this simple beauty.This humble method of placing lighted paper bags mimics the 16th-century … Continue reading Come Lord Jesus, Come By Here

Its almost Christmas. While many of us will be enjoying friends, family, and home this weekend, many of our nation's finest will not be even anywhere close to home.We need to remember these good men and women, in our prayers and in our hopes for their speedy return home. We sleep safely each night because … Continue reading Christmas Far From Home

Madonna del Magnificat - Sandro Botticelli - Florence, Italy 1480 Over the course of the past year, I have been trying to figure out more of what it means to "get a life". For me, that means trying to spend less time with the daily concerns of work, and more time for people, for investing … Continue reading Magnificat!

The Ghosts in the AtticBy way of introduction, my friend Rob Asghar has perhaps the most thoughtful perspective on all of these events I have been thinking about over the past year or so. You can read it here, it goes a long way to setting up the situation.I have been active at Hollywood Pres … Continue reading The Past of a Great Church

The past year or so in the life of our church has been really difficult. This is something that is hard for me to write about, as over the course of the past months, I have lost good friends, felt like I can't worship in peace and joy on Sunday, and felt anger in my … Continue reading The Train Wreck and Nobody Wins