Rev. Duke

Sacred Heart of Jesus interpreted

2012-02-09T11:32:00.000-05:00

This is one of the many pieces of art hanging on the wall at Ecclesia in Houston. It is a new imagination on the Sacred Heart of Jesus icon. Here's the image location: http://www.ecclesiahouston.org/files/images/jersusalem_icon_blue_crop.jpg

Ministries of Interest in Houston

2012-02-09T00:52:00.001-05:00

The last weekend of January my Beeson Pastor cohort joined some Beeson International Leaders in Houston, Texas. We spent five days traversing the city, discovering a variety of churches and ministries that are extending the ministry of Jesus to Houston and around the world. There were five different types of ministries that piqued an earnest interest in my heart and mind. 1) Street Reach Houston

Interesting visit in Indianapolis

2012-02-08T23:34:00.000-05:00

In the month of January Anna and I joined a group of visiting scholars in a church environment that was out of the ordinary. About 30 scholars joined with John and Ann, doctors of the soul, to ring in a new year with a bounty of traditional food. They gave ear to how the universe unfolded in creative order. They exchanged ideas with verdant discussion. Many of the visiting scholars are being

In Houston

2012-01-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

The month of January has been filled with reading, writing, a class on Biblical interpretation, and now a trip to Houston, Texas. The trip to Houston is will expose Beeson Pastors to a number of different ministries. We will see everything from large churches to street ministry. Along with class work the countdown is on for the dissertation proposal and another looming question, where are we

Overheard on our Christmas Trip

2011-12-31T08:39:00.000-05:00

On our trip to Michigan we have heard several funny remarks. I share two here. We're In Michigan! Along the way of our journey Kyrie kept asking when we were going to be in Michigan. After we crossed the border with Ohio we said, we're in Michigan. But our response was not good enough. She kept asking, "when are we going to be in Michigan?" On Wednesday we visited the good people of Central

A Christmas Greeting

2011-12-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

Asa's Piano Recital

2011-12-12T20:26:00.001-05:00

Tonight Asa had a piano recital. He has been playing the piano for about 4 years. He's come a long way and this year has made some big strides. All you can see in the video is his knee, just know it's him with his hands on the ivory's.

Preparing For Christmas

2011-12-03T08:02:00.001-05:00

December has arrived and that brings the need to prepare for Christmas. Our preparations are different this year because of our housing accommodations and plans we have to be with family over Christmas and New Years day. We have three decorative items that remind us Christmas is coming, an Advent Calendar, a Creche, and a globe with the Holy Family in it. Today the city of Wilmore will be

A Good Books List from the Fall

2011-12-03T07:26:00.001-05:00

In the Spring I recommended the book, Heaven Is For Real, to a friend. This week she wrote and asked if I had other recommendations. I did. From July through the middle of November our Beeson cohort has had assigned reading of 44 books. These 44 have opened doors to a host of other works that we become acquainted with. I made a top ten list for my friend, nine are from the assigned reading and

Asa's First Stop Motion Video

2011-11-22T20:55:00.001-05:00

A Pre-Thanksgiving Update

2011-11-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

The month of November has brought us to a reflective space within the Beeson year. There remain books to be read for classes in this semester, but they are almost completed. There are papers yet to write, but the majority are submitted. Now is the time to begin focusing on the dissertation and a question begins to weigh on us, what will come after May of 2012? Following the Dissertation

My Republic Bank Big Hit Half-Marathon Results

2011-11-02T08:55:00.000-04:00

my Republic Bank Big Hit Half-Marathon - Half-Marathon results

2011-10-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

This year has held a few firsts, today was one of those days. I ran a 1/2 marathon. In the spring Anna and I started running together. When we arrived on campus at Asbury we kept it up. We run about 2 miles 4 times a week. In August Ken Nash, another Beeson pastor from Grand Rapids, took me for a 6 1/2 mile run around Notre Dame. The next day we did another 5 1/2. He started to say, you can

The Unbusy Pastor

2011-10-20T12:01:00.001-04:00

I recently read the following quote from Eugene Peterson's book, The Contemplative Pastor. I find that Peterson rattles my cage: ____ Years ago I noticed, as all pastors must, that when a pastor left a neighboring congregation, the congregational life carried on very well, thank you. A guest preacher was assigned to conduct Sunday worship, and nearby pastors took care of the funerals, weddings,

Chasing the King

2011-10-20T07:50:00.002-04:00

On October 1, the 2011 Beeson cohort along with the class of 2011 Beeson International Leaders, flew to California for the most interesting and engaging leadership experience we have ever had. Imagine finding yourself in a situation completely different than what you have ever been in, and then embarking on something like the TV show, The Amazing Race. Our location in California was Huntington

Almost through October

2011-10-20T06:17:00.000-04:00

Planning is something Pastors do. A person cannot go through a class or course in preparing for the vocation of ministry without hearing of the importance of planning. In preaching courses examples will often be given of planning a year in advance. This year in the Beeson program, planning has been put on the shelf. I suppose that helps reinforce the trajectory of the program, a new

Kyrie's preaching

2011-10-09T00:57:00.000-04:00

This week I've been in LA with the Beeson program. We've been on a very interesting leadership journey. While I've been away Anna and the kids have continued our after meal practice of praying. Below is an account Anna sent me about Kyrie's leading. I find it amazing what a three ear old can capture and display. Here is what Anna wrote. _____ Just wanted to let you know that Kyrie

This week's news 9-24-11

2011-09-24T11:27:00.001-04:00

This week has been full of writing and reading. Next week will be more of the same my fellow Beeson Pastors and I get ready for a trip to California and a class on Leadership. The Leadership class has been unique in its unfolding. When our cohort arrived in July we were welcomed by the Beeson center staff and encouraged to jump into our reading and writing. There were other companion events

Come, Creator Spirit

2011-09-19T11:58:00.000-04:00

For an upcoming class on theology one of our books is Come, Creator Spirit; meditations on the Veni Creator. The work is written by Raniero Cantalamessa. Since 1980 Fr. Cantalamessa has been the Preacher to the Papal Household. He has a web site where you can find other writings, homily's, recordings, etc. (http://www.cantalamessa.org/en/index.php) The book for our class are reflections on a

Pursuing Impact or Pursuing God?

2011-09-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

Phil Vischer the creator of Veggie Tales has a new project out called What's In the Bible. World Magazine has a good interview with Vischer that would be well worth the read. Here are a couple of quotes. "We're drinking a cocktail that's a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we've intertwined them so completely that we can't tell them apart anymore."

Report from the Abbey

2011-09-12T14:07:00.000-04:00

A week ago our Beeson cohort returned from a weekend retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani. While there we prayed the hours with the monks, beginning at 3:15 AM, enjoyed their hospitality and prayed about our own spiritual formation. Along the way we were introduced to one monk in particular who shared several time slots with us, former Abbot, Fr. Damian. Fr. Damian gave an introduction to the

Training for a 1/2 Marathon

2011-08-31T14:40:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about how our family is exploring some new grooves in life. One of those grooves involved running. Anna, Moses and Asa, and I have been running regularly since arriving in KY, about 5 times a week. A couple of weeks ago on a Beeson trip I tagged along with my cohort friend Ken Nash for a 6.5 mile jaunt. That was the longest run of my life. Ken has been training for and

The Great Thanksgiving

2011-08-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

In the approach of the Lord's Table there is a prayer called the Great Thanksgiving. It summarizes, sometimes at length, the work of God in the world. St. Andrews Anglican Church in Versailles, KY uses the Nigerian liturgy. Their Great Thanksgiving is similar to the Book of Common Prayer, the United Methodist Book of Worship, the Free Methodist liturgy, but with an added and appreciable twist:

This Week's news - August 27, 2011

2011-08-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

The first class in the Beeson year is in the books. On Monday 16 Beeson Pastors, 9 "in parish" from 2008 and the 7 of us in the residential side joined to participate in Cultural Anthropology for Global Mission. It was a fascinating class experience. The content and class presentations added greater understanding to what the Lord is up to around the world. Some statistics/facts that amazed

Missing the Mark - Theologians on Agriculture and Economics

2011-08-27T15:39:00.001-04:00

I begin this post with a quotation that is par for the course in current theological writing. Why has 'globalization' become a dirty word in many poor nations? A major reason is because it cloaks the fraudulence of the US and European Union, who preach a hypocritical rhetoric of 'free trade' to the poor while erecting barriers (in the form of quotas and tariffs - effectively taxes on trade) to

We send to Christ

2011-08-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

L: All our problems P: We send to the cross of Christ L: All our difficulties, P: We send to the cross of Christ L: All the devil's works, P: We send to the cross of Christ L: All our hopes, P: We set on the risen Christ L: Christ the Sun of righteousness shine upon you and scatter the darkness from before your path: And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be

Justifying My Existence?

2011-08-19T14:41:00.000-04:00

"World class runner Harold Abrahams, a friend and rival of Eric Liddell of Chariots of Fire fame, explained his desperate attempts to win the hundred-yard Olympic spring by saying, "I have just ten seconds to justify my existence!" Whew! I hear that and wonder how long I will keep trying to "justifying my existence." How often I have woken up in the morning thinking, What do I have to do

Recent Church Visits

2011-08-18T12:59:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was filled with some very interesting church visits. On Wednesday the Beeson Pastors traveled from Wilmore to South Bend, In for an interview at Granger Community Church. Granger is on the NE side of South Bend. They are a United Methodist Church, but UMC doesn't appear any place on their walls. We talked with the Executive Pastor about a their move toward being missional while

News of the week - August 14, 2011

2011-08-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

This past week has been filled with observation and learning. Last weekend the Beeson Pastors and families went to Cincinnati, Ohio to worship at two different churches and visit the Newport Aquarium. We worshiped at Crossroads Church and the Cincinnati Vineyard. Crossroads was a unique experience. Their lobby or gathering spot looks to be the largest open space in their entire building.

News of the week - August 6, 2011

2011-08-06T11:08:00.000-04:00

Today the Beeson 11 Pastors and families (mostly) will be heading to Cincinnati, Ohio. Tonight we will visit Crossroads Church and tomorrow morning The Vineyard. Both churches have been a part of pioneering movements in current missiological movements - The Vineyard has been leading the way in servant evangelism and Crossroads has been extending its reach through satellite campuses or

This Week's news - July 30, 2011

2011-07-30T14:30:00.001-04:00

It's been a hot week in Wilmore. The temps are high as well as the humidity. I returned from a run today and decided that I only needed a bar of soap to go with all the sweat. No need for a shower, just a bar of soap. On the 25th Aravis turned 6. She's been enjoying a week of celebrations which have included two birthday cakes, with another one on the way tonight, a tea set, a barbie radio,

Developing a New Groove

2011-07-21T12:16:00.004-04:00

This spring one of the goals we set for four of us in our family was to begin running and acquiring a greater degree of physical fitness. The endeavor launched after spring break and has continued in a couple of different renditions. Right now our running pattern is that Anna and I head out somewhere about 7:30 in the morning and Moses and Asa go running about 9. Encouraging Moses and Asa to

News of the week

2011-07-16T07:46:00.001-04:00

This week has been the first full week of orientation and getting into the groove of the Beeson program. We started last Friday and Saturday and then continued with training/familiarity this week. One of our training sessions included computer training. In this program included is a laptop. We had choices, a Dell or a Mac. I went with the Mac. I reasoned that if I was jumping into a whole

The Move Completed

2011-07-10T21:29:00.000-04:00

Our temporary move to Kentucky is completed. We arrived about 10 days ago. We unpacked, put things in order and on Friday, we began our orientation to the Beeson program at Asbury. We've been able to meet and fellowship with my classmates for the coming year, they are super people, who have already provided a number of laughs along the way. In preparing to move Anna and I had many discussions

A Grief Observed on Independance Day

2011-07-04T18:39:00.001-04:00

This past spring I have been blessed with a new friendship in the person and family of Joe Czyzyk. Joe and his family came to CMFMC in January and began worshipping with us. Joe grew up in Michigan and then has had a world encompassing journey, one of those dear places was Poland. In April of 2010 the Polish Presidential plane was going to Russia for a memorial service. In it's attempt to

With Thee Is My Heart Enthralled

2011-06-25T16:37:00.000-04:00

I composed this poem for Anna on Valentine's Day, 2009. _______________