T. David Beck: The Simple Way of Jesus

I'm back from my hiatus from blogging with a scary story for a Halloween day... A couple of days ago I had a conversation with Mike, my favorite Sacramento barista, about what I do as a pastor. He's not a Christian, and I don't think he has a lot of church background. He asks great questions. As he was making a mocha for another customer, he inquired, "So do you... you know... preach?" It was like being asked if I pull kittens' tails and throw rocks at children. I said, "I do preach, but at the same time I'm not sure how I feel about the word 'preach.' It carries a lot of baggage." He said, "Yeah, like all that fire and brimstone. That's not good. Well, what do you do if you don't call it preaching?" Quickly fumbling for a way to reinterpret preaching on the spot, I replied, "I help people imagine what it is to live a constantly improving life." As he put the finishing touches on the mocha, he smiled...

I am taking a couple weeks off from blogging as I finish revisions on a book manuscript for IVP. The book is about the movement from living  for Jesus to living  with Jesus.  There is a vast difference between living for Jesus by knowing and doing religious things, and living with Jesus by walking each day in his presence. More to come on that! See you in mid-October.