Andy Rowell

Author: Andy Rowell

  • Review of With God in the Crucible by Peter Storey

    Here is my Amazon.com review of

    Peter Storey, With God in the Crucible: Preaching Costly Discipleship (Nashville: Abingdon, 2005). 

    5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful sermons that concisely tell the story of the fall of apartheid in South Africa, November 13, 2008

    By
    Andrew D. Rowell (Durham, NC) – See all my reviews
    (REAL NAME)

    I was moved to tears and deeply challenged by this tale of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa–illustrated by the concise sermons of Peter Storey. In 1990, apartheid began being dismantled. In 1994, the first democratic elections were held. Storey was involved before, during and after these events. Storey was the pastor of Central Methodist Mission Methodist in Johannesburg from 1976 to 1989; Methodist Bishop of the Johannesburg/Soweto area from 1984 to 1997; and Professor of the Practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School from 1999 to 2006. Storey himself is a white South African but served alongside black leaders like Desmond Tutu who wrote the foreword.

    It took me about 4 hours to read the 175 pages. There are 23 sermons here which may sound like a lot but they are only 2-5 pages each. Each sermon is prefaced by a description of the dramatic events that occasioned the sermon. The sermons launch from a relevant Scriptural text and are illustrated with poignant stories and powerful quotations.

    Retired United Methodist Bishop Ken Carder required this book for first year MDiv students in his Introduction to Christian Ministry course at Duke Divinity School and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

    Note:

    I do not think of Amazon.com reviews as significant academic
    reviews of the book.  People who view this review at Amazon.com will
    already be browsing the book.  My review is intended to give the person
    a better idea of what is in the book, thus helping them decide if they
    want to buy it.  No one had reviewed Storey’s book so I thought I would
    give people a better idea of what it was all about. 

    Related resources:

    See my other post about Storey at:
    Education in the Local Church: Taylor, Willimon, Storey, Niebuhr, and Groome

    An online article by him is:
    Peter Storey, Rules of Engagement: Faithful Congregations in a Dangerous World. Inaugural Lecture for Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Chair of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke University Divinity School, 1999.  Storey taught at Duke Divinity School from 1999 to 2006.

    See the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence website for more Duke Divinity School resources on pastoring. 

    We read the following books in Bishop Ken Carder’s Introduction to Christian Ministry course at Duke Divinity School, where I am the preceptor (teaching assistant). 

    Books for Ken Carder’s Intro to Christian Ministry

     

  • Why I blog, blogging tips, and a technology primer

    Here are my responses to an interview with Raymond Hayes of the Foundation for Evangelism about blogging.  I am grateful to be receiving funding for my Th.D. program at Duke through the Foundation.  Notably, the Foundation just announced November 4th that it will support four initiatives with $50,000-100,000 each to “develop leaders with a passion for evangelism who will have a multiplying impact on The United Methodist Church.”  Great stuff.   

    Raymond Hayes interviews Andy Rowell about blogging. 

    1. When did you first start blogging. As well, have you done any journalistic or diary type writings in the past either in paper format or electronic?

    I have been blogging since January 2006 at www.andyrowell.net — "Church Leadership Conversations: The Thoughts and Resources of Andy Rowell."  I had started a blog in 2004 but I did not have a clear focus and did not tell people about it.  I remember subtitling it something like: "Reflections on Christianity, leadership, movies, sports, politics, and the news."  Meanwhile, I emailed some pastor friends emails entitled: "What Pastors Need to Know About the book The Da Vinci Code" (released in 2003) and "What Pastors Need to Know About the film The Passion of the Christ" (released in Feb 2004).  I was surprised to hear that they forwarded my email messages to others.  This is when I started to realize that this was my niche and passion–"What Pastors Need to Know About . . ."  This has been my blog's focus.  When a pastor emails me a question, then I may post a version of my response.  Or if I find myself in real life having a conversation about a subject, I may post my thoughts. 

    2. What do you feel is the reason you like to blog?

    I blog because blogging:

    (1) improves my writing;

    (2) puts me in touch with people outside of my normal circle;

    (3) gives me an outlet for insights that I think could help others;

    (4) gives me a place to post long thoughtful email messages, papers, and other things I have already written–potentially multiplying their original influence;

    (5) helps me articulate my thoughts on different issues;

    (6) gives me the opportunity to highlight really great resources others should know about. 

    3. Any suggestions for future bloggers?

    (1) Read some blogs.  Look through My List of 80 Church Leadership Blogs I am watching.  See my: Why to Try Blogging and How to Start Start a blog at WordPress.com for free. Don't put any distinguishing personal information about yourself on it. Write whatever you want for a couple of months. Note what categories you find yourself writing about–then start another blog about the topic you are most interested in and include your full name and start telling people about it.  It is usually good to have some expertise about the topic you are writing about. 

    (2) Don't worry about how many people read your blog but comment on other blogs and sign your comments with your blog address and with the blog's title which clearly states its subject.

    (3) Remember that anything you put on the internet is potentially public and permanent so don't write anything you wouldn't want a potential employer or your mother to read.  Be fair to those you critique. 

    (4) Really scathing blog posts ripping someone will get you noticed and increase your audience but fairness and wisdom will help you retain an audience.  People like thoughtful, funny, fair people.  People get tired of mean people. 

    (5) Anne Lamott in her book on writing, Bird by Bird says that people who attend her writing workshops are always wanting to know on the first day how to get an agent, get a contract, and make big money as a writer.  Lamott is always trying to just get them to write.  I would say the same thing.  What are you already writing already?  Lectures, newsletters, sermons . . . why not collect them on a blog rather than letting them rot away in "My Documents" in your computer?  People will notice you and if you are good, they will subscribe to your blog and notice when you post something new and will be drawn to it. 

    (6)  See Tips for Better Blogging by Webmonkey and Mark Batterson's Ten Blog Tips or Abraham Piper's 22 very simple ways for a new blogger to improve or read the book The Blogging Church.

    (7) Blogging should not be allowed to keep you from your family, hurt your relationships, hurt your day job, or become an obsession. 

    4. What one message of Christ do you feel fits your daily life, and helps you keep writing on a regular basis?

    2 Corinthians 6:3-12 TNIV

    3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.     11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you

    Like the Apostle Paul, in my personal life, vocational life and blogging life, I want to be someone who is trying to follow Christ well and to share freely with others what I have found that they might be built up.  

    5.  Any of the new technologies that you like the most? (Social tools like Twitter, Facebook or any new hardware like the iPhone, etc, that helps you keep up with your duties or writing?

    Here are my comments about 7 technologies:

    1. I follow lots of blogs with Google Reader.  See my list of 80 Church Leadership blogs that I would recommend which I keep updated: My List of 80 Church Leadership Blogs I am watching.  Google Reader is an RSS feeder in that it notifies you when there are any new posts from a blogger.  It gives you the titles of the posts–I scan through the titles and read probably 5 in 100.  In the blogosphere, there are some good United Methodist blogs worth watching:    

      Adam Hamilton – Seeing Gray – megachurch UMC pastor in Kansas

      Andrew Thompson – Gen-X Rising, UMC pastor and Th.D. student at Duke

      Ben Witherington – Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary

      Scott Jones – Kansas UMC Bishop Blogs and Columns

      Will Willimon – A Peculiar Prophet – Alabama UMC Bishop

    2. I would highly recommend learning to use iTunes.  It is a free software (application / program) that you can use on a PC or a Mac.  With it you can download audio and video like Adam Hamilton's Church of the Resurrection, or the Catalyst Conference podcast.  The free stuff is called "podcasts."  See my best podcasts.  There is tons of great stuff for free to listen to. 

    3. I would also recommend people consider switching to Gmail for their email.  You don't even need to give up your other email address.  You can use Gmail (powered by Google) to check it.  Gmail has basically unlimited storage, no ads on the email messages, and is extraordinarily fast and flexible.  I can't understand why people would use any other Webmail interface or worry about storage or about your computer crashing and losing all of your stored email messages.  Just keep them on gmail and search for what you need. 

    4. See my:The Best Bible Study Tools on the Web and Biblegateway.com – Why every pastor should demonstrate it to their congregation and Introduction to the online theological world

    5. I think the free Mozilla Firefox is a faster browser than Internet Explorer.  I use Firefox. 

    6. I think Facebook is great for connecting with old high school, college and seminary friends.  I keep Facebook "friends" to people I remember and have met in person.  Most people however simply say "yes" to anyone who asks to be their friend.  I am not as interested in reading updates from people I don't know and have never met in person, so I do not have them as friends on Facebook.

    7. I would not recommend Twitter though I am still experimenting with it.  I think it is a waste of time.  I have reflected on it at Top grades for pastors on Twitter and Reflections on Twitter. 

  • Parenting tips: Diaper Smell, Diaper Rash and Fiber

    Just thought I would share three year's of parenting conclusions on three dirty issues. 

    Diaper Smell
    We tried to use a DiaperGenie for a year with Ryan (now 3).  The fact is that poopy diapers stink.  We have been much happier since we started a few years ago putting poopy diapers in a blue bag like Sassy Baby Disposable 200 Ct. Diaper Sacks
    and immediately put them outside.  Their room doesn't smell.  Regular pee-only diapers don't really smell.  We just throw them in a garbage can near the diaper change station. 

    Diaper Rash
    If the kid has diaper rash (often caused from loose stools), the best thing to do is clean off his dirty butt with wipes, then give him a quick bath after every poopy diaper, and then put Desitin or Butt Paste or another product with zinc oxide.  This will help.  The bath (in the sink or tub) really does wonders; it is impossible to get the butt clean with just wipes after a liquid poop.

    Fiber
    The "regularity" and the ease with which bowel movements are made depend almost entirely for our boys on what they have eaten. 

    The BRAT diet stops you up and makes your poops firmer.  (Bananas, Rice–white, Applesauce, and Toast).  But see the interesting Wikipedia BRAT diet entry which also recommends liquids, cereal, milk and yogurt.

    On the other hand, we have found Fiber cereals to do as advertised and keep our boys very regular.  It is terrible to watch a kid who is constipated and who is in pain every time they poop. 

    Here are some of the cereals in our cupboard.  I have put the cereals' grams of Dietary Fiber per serving.  (No wonder it is hard to read the labels when each cereal has a different serving size!)  But the point is that each of these have quite a bit of fiber.  I like to just spread a bunch of different kinds of cereal on their plates and let them choose what they want to eat.   

    Kellogg's Crispy Blend Low Fat Granola without Raisins  (In 1/2 cup serving, 3 g)

    Barbara's Bakery Bite Size Shredded Oats  (In 1 1/4 cup serving, 5 g)

    Nature's Path Organic Heritage Flackes, Multigrain Cereal   (In 3/4 cup serving, 6 g)

    Cheerios Cereal (In 1 cup serving, 3 g)

    When they are getting a little bit too loose, we mix in more cereals with less fiber like Kellogg's Crispix
    (in 1 cup serving, less than 1 g of Dietary Fiber).