Dear dads, Hi. I’m writing this because I’m an adult daughter. I can’t speak for all adult daughters. We’re pretty different. We have different experiences and different personalities. And different dads, of course. But there are a couple of things that I want to say to you all, from the perspective of one adult daughter. I have no experience as a father, but I have been a daughter my whole life, so I’m just going to tell you what that’s been like. Over the years, my relationship with my dad has transformed. As an infant, I fully depended on my dad and my mom for everything. I couldn’t do anything for myself. As I grew, I suppose my dad had to adjust. His role as the father of an infant was different from being the father of a toddler or an adolescent or an adult. He did not stop being a father when I moved out of the house. When I think about what I appreciate most from my dad that has remained constant through all those stages, his provision, his transparency, and his time c...
Social distancing and sheltering-in-place has been challenging for pastors recently. Their face-to-face encounters are reduced to phone calls and pastors are finding themselves getting creative with social media, video calls, and drive by visits. It hurts to go months without seeing people that normally fill the church building every week and it can be difficult for pastors to stay connected with their congregation and balance the blending of home and work. Despite serious obstacles, some pastors are encouraged the changes that they see taking place in the church during this crisis. The Mobilized Church In the midst of the pain and grief brought about by this pandemic, the actual church--the people, not the building--is mobilizing to care for their neighbors and serve their communities during crisis. Groceries are being delivered to the elderly, prescriptions are being picked up for those who need medication, meals are being donated for front-lines workers, electronic devices are b...