Jason Locke's Blog

Church leadership is messed up in the United States. Broken. Egocentric. Toxic. Nonexistent. Dysfunctional. That's the way it feels to lots of commentators and professional ministers like me. It's such a big deal that talking about it is kind of like watching replays of major racing accidents. You just can't look away. How else can one explain the great popularity of books and podcasts that do autopsies on some of the most dysfunctional church leadership structures of our day? (For those with an interest to explore what I mean, you can check out a few examples at the bottom of this article.) I have a much younger friend named Jacob. He served four years in the Marines before going to college. Once, he was telling me about being part of a flight crew for those giant refueling planes, something like a KC-130. It was fascinating to hear about flying with that huge plane all across Europe. As Jacob shared, I realized something shocking yet crucial about the way the US military ...

Here's a parable. Let's say that you love swimming. You love swimming so much in fact that you are part of a swim club. You believe that swimming is the healthiest thing a person could do, and you feel stronger and more vibrant when you are actively swimming. Every week, you meet with your swim club to do laps together and then go out for drinks. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of your week, and you see this as incredibly important. You and I are good friends, in this parable at least. And as an advocate for swimming as the key to a healthy life, you keep inviting me to the swim club. You use various enticements to get me to go. You even introduce me to another swim club member in the hopes it will push me over the edge. Do you know where this parable is going? Read on for the conclusion. (from www.goodlife.org.au/squads) Clear of Covid, I have resumed my planned sabbatical schedule. It was hard to let go of the planned visits in Hamburg and Frankfurt, but the wise pat...