Being Deacon
Being Deacon: Lessons From the Fishbowl

As a deacon, I’m becoming more comfortable with the idea that people are watching me and my family. I may not like it, but I’m learning to embrace it. To a large degree, that’s what I signed up for, to be a symbol of something different, a sign of contrast, to represent Christ in a way I hadn’t done before. But as Christians, aren’t we all called to represent Christ in a way that’s visible, that makes Him known to the rest of the world, through the witness of our lives?
Springtime Photo Dump

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared photos of our family and kids, so here’s a quick photo dump. — Das Schmidt Haus, Easter 2015 — Okay, it wasn’t really Easter, and Cy, Iowa State’s mascot, didn’t attend church with us. But let’s pretend because I need an obligatory family Easter photo. Maybe I should Photoshop the … [Read more…]
Being Deacon: Not Quite Ready for Primetime

It’s been a few weeks since I was ordained a permanent deacon. After four years of deacon formation, there were still some things for which I was not totally prepared. Here are seven … Quick Takes style. — 1 — Everything — A good friend of mine, Deacon Andrew pictured with me above, was … [Read more…]