“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a … Continue reading Coming to Terms

Last month I joined a team of other Christians on a stateside outreach trip to Lynch, KY. During the trip, our team led an outdoor day-camp for local children and helped kids landscape their elementary school. Every night during the trip, we worshipped together and listened to local ministers share their stories. On Monday night, … Continue reading The Next Good Work

One of my favorite quotes comes from Antoine De Saint-Exupery: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” I love this quote because I’m a big picture kind of … Continue reading Building a Ship

Years ago, predominantly white neighborhoods started to become more ethnically and economically diverse. This scared residents and caused them to leave and build neighborhoods far from the center of their cities. The common title of this phenomenon is White Flight. It’s a real thing that happened all over the developed world. The greater tragedy is … Continue reading Darkness – Pt 2

Ben has been a regular at the ministry for five years. He suffers from several mental illnesses including paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. He’s a delightful guy who often makes us laugh. Like the time he burped during a prayer and said, “Excuse me, Jesus.” A couple of weeks ago, Ben came into Midtown … Continue reading Darkness – Pt. 1

I was sitting on a bench with my friend Mike. Mike is homeless and disgruntled. He’s also a little depressed. Several of his friends and family have passed away this year. His emotional pain has led him to drink more heavily than usual. As we sat together he asked the question, “Why do bad people … Continue reading Intrigue

Lee is in his late 70s (I think) and suffers from some form of dementia. He’s been a regular at the Midtown Café for a while, yet we don’t know much about him. It’s hard to get a straight answer. For example, I once asked Lee how old he was and he said, “Um, 15 … Continue reading Lee

Today is the 5th Monday in May, which means it’s time for another installment of Communion with the Saints.  Today’s guest blog comes from Caden Eckert. Caden served at Midtown Ministries as a Student Apprentice a couple years ago.  She has an obvious passion for Jesus and his Kingdom. She and her husband, Nick, attend … Continue reading Communion with the Saints – Episode 2

Chris walked into our café and sat on the couch next to me. Already, this was odd. Chris is one of the most closed-off people I’ve ever met and usually wants to be left alone. He’s even yelled at people for offering him a cigarette. He also suffers from paranoia. We aren’t sure, but we … Continue reading What Do You Think That Means?