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Several years ago I wrote a piece titled “Life in the Bark” in which I presented the idea that if we concentrate on the life of the Spirit in a fellowship, that life of the Spirit will shape the organization (bark) in which it flourishes.  Here is a quote from that reflection: “In a healthy tree the flow of life produces internal growth that expands and shapes the bark of the tree.  When the life-giving flow of the Holy Spirit—the Life of Jesus—is flowing within the lives of the believers in an organization then the institution (bark) will be shaped by the spiritual growth in the people.  The bark is not dead because it is also made up of people.  It responds, splits, and...

Relationships and Friendships Enhanced by Proper Use of Technology – Observations and Ideas from C. R. Baugh and Kent Hotaling          Technology is a fantastic tool for not only getting work done but also for enhancing, supporting, and building friendships. Our technological advances are resources for connecting and for building and experiencing community.  However, technology does not automatically do so. We must manage technology so that it does not manage us. It can be so enticing that technology can control us without realizing it. When that happens, our relationships become flattened because we no longer relate to people at the deeper level of face-to-face...

We lived in Washington, D. C. for fourteen years.  We loved being with the companions in faith who were part of our lives.  We were grateful for the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world who were in D.C. as part of their professional concerns or who came for short visits.  We even made friends with some who served on Capitol Hill.  One of the downsides of living in the nation’s capital is the intensity that is part of the lives of so many.   I was often caught up in the life style of a city of self-important people.  More than I like to remember, I found that as I was meeting with and “listening” to one person my mind was distracted by the next person...

Thoughts on Marriage After 59 years of married life, Kay and I have learned some things about marriage and we are continuing to learn from the Lord and from good companions.  Here in brief form are some of those things.  They are not in any order of priority.  They are all important to us. Each of us needs to be experiencing a walk with the Lord. Being transformed to be like Jesus is a lifelong experience – without this journey none of the other ideas work. Getting our needs met: We have learned that this is a burden we are not to lay on each other.  The place to begin with having needs met is with Jesus.  And we are part of the Body of Christ so some of these needs are...

The Antioch Fellowship For many years I have studied and pondered the things that made the fellowship that Jesus empowered in the first century so powerful and life-giving. The fellowship of believers in Antioch is one of the places these where we get a glimpse of these things.  Here are some observations about this fellowship: Acts 11:19-30 The church was founded by a group that had been scattered by the persecution of Jesus followers in Jerusalem. It was essentially a lay church.  It seems right that some leaders in our fellowships should be supported financial by others.  But if this creates an organization that exalts the “professionals” above the other sisters and...

  “Nietzsche responded, ‘At times I think I’m the most alone man in existence.  It has nothing to do with the presence of others – in fact, I hate others who rob me of my solitude and yet do not truly offer me company.’ “What do you mean, Friedrich?  How do they not offer you company?” “By not holding dear the things I hold dear!  Sometimes I gaze so far into life that I suddenly look around and see that no one has accompanied me.” When Nietzsche Wept by Irvin Yalom When I read this portion as I was flying back from Washington, D.C. in early October I immediately agreed with the thought that few people hold dear what I hold dear.  And of course I was wrong and...

When Kay and I moved back to Oregon in 1996 our friends, Iral and Gwen Barrett, asked us to spend time with some of the Young Life staff in the Salem area.  In a couple years there were several of these dedicated young people we were privileged to meet with.  Chad Watson suggested that we could provide opportunities for personal reflection and also for community building if we invited them to meet together for a day once a month.  For the past 18 years I have had the privilege to do this with some the Young Life staff in my part of Oregon.  During these times of quiet reflection (followed by some vigorous discussions) I have learned a great deal about my walk with the...

       Jesus Christ in Every Culture                                     Acts 10:1-48   Many have observed that the message of Jesus Christ becomes limited in its appeal because we attach national, religious, theological and institutional cultures to the message of Jesus.  In truth, the only thing we can properly communicate across these human barriers is the simple message of Jesus. Acts ten is the account of God dealing with Peter to free him from his cultural bias so he could go beyond his culture and communicate Christ to the Roman soldier, Cornelius.  In the narrative, it becomes obvious that religious bias is very difficult to overcome and that the release of...

We see what we choose to see.  I can look at the world in which I live and see the distrust and disunity that seems to plague the best efforts of men and women to create organizations and groups that function to help people.  This is a theme that is often played in the muted tones of gossip, damning with faint praise and other subtle ways of undercutting others.  It is also a theme blasted at us like rap music by the ambitious and arrogant in their raw use of power to accomplish their self-serving ends. Without the humility and warmth which you have to develop in your relations to the few, with whom you are personally involved, you will never be able to do anything for...