Drew Downs
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Hearts broken open
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7 min read
Why do they kill Stephen? Our lectionary jumps in at the very end of a two chapter story. A story about Stephen, our patron saint. After all the explanation of who he is, what he says, and why it makes the people angry enough to kill him, then they jump in. So let’s back up…
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“Each day…”
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1 min read
“Each day wake up and ask yourself what will make you feel most alive that day.” -Unknown One of the most significant break throughs for me was realizing the phrase “eternal life” wasn’t endless spiritual immortality – the kind of never-ending boredom of existential nothingness, but something far more profound and effecting. That Jesus offers…
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‘Rules for Revolutionaries’ and for Leaders
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9 min read
At once, Becky Bond and Zack Exley’s book, Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything is both manifesto and history. It mines the revolutionary approach to campaigning they pioneered for Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2015 and early 2016 to build a template for organizing and campaigning in the future. They invite people to recognize how…
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Sharing Love
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8 min read
You’ve probably heard the story before. It’s told several ways, but often goes something like this. There was a man, living near the Mississippi River. He was a faithful man. He served on the church board and the evangelism team and was there every Sunday. One particular Sunday, the conversation at coffee hour was about…
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‘A Genuine Leader…’
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1 min read
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. Of all the parts of leadership with which we most struggle, it is the place of consensus and influence. It is an awesome responsibility with unmeasurable power. Given that reality, it is remarkable we share it at…
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Stop Falling For the Cult of the Perfect Leader
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7 min read
“We have a new bishop!” I proudly declared on Sunday morning, announcing the weekend’s big event: when nearly 1,500 people gathered to ordain the 11th Bishop of Indianapolis, the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows. “And right now she’s claiming her seat.” And because I refuse to pass up such perfect opportunities to preach, I took the…