I have been thinking a lot lately about how to create something awesome.  My new job at the fabulous Woodlawn UMC in Derby, KS has pushed me to think outside the box and “rethink church”.  But leadership for creating something awesome requires  incredible balance of a myriad of factors.  Just after the Winter Olympics one professor likened it to speed skating.  She watched the short track race and noticed that being fastest and strongest did not mean you would win the race.  What really mattered was negotiating the crowded track so that you were well positioned at the moment of greatest opportunity.  Often this positioning seems mysterious and out of our control, but I believe that a well thought out strategy could help us get there…. [Read more →]

Adam and I are celebrating our 1st Christmas as a married couple a day before the holiday festivities begin at our churches and families’ homes… by starting some new traditions.

Together, we are going to make our own nativity, one piece at a time… this year is baby Jesus.

We are also going to begin a holiday tradition of family talent shows thanks to a comment by one of our favorite educators, Dr. Brooke Lester.

This morning, as we sat down to think of our newly created Barlow-Thompson traditions, I turned on the boob-tube. Alas, one of my favorite re-runs was on: Roseanne. Indeed, I was sucked in. So much so that the all-day Roseanne marathon remained on all morning as we relaxed, played with the dog and devised our special 1st Christmas extravaganza together…. [Read more →]

What does a show about show choir and a motley crew of teenagers have to do with social justice? Fox’s TV show, Glee, shows us how…

The TV show Glee caught my eye (and the eyes of many) because of the colorful set, hip fun characters, musical-style format, and quick witted lines and scenes. The show is centered on an inspired and determined teacher who brings many of the high school stereotypes (jock, nerd, band geek, theater buff, outcast) together to become a glee club, performing musical numbers together in competitions with other schools. It is a funny and often heartfelt show that leaves you smiling and uplifted, singing along to the pop music they perform and quoting the funniest line from the episode… [Read more →]