We live in a society that is so individualistic, that it is nearly impossible for many to understand why communities matter.  All our energy and all our resources are focused toward increasing the individual’s capacity for success.  We have tutoring programs to increase children’s...

I have a cat named Splash.  Splash likes to behead small creatures and leave them on the porch as a kind of offering.  On Friday, I was sitting on my back patio and realized that Splash was playing with an adorable little terrified chipmunk.  She likes to play with her prey before she...

Yesterday something very strange happened.  I went up to my office at Baptist Theological Seminary to pack up a few things in preparation for our move.   When I got to the office, the door had been kicked in.  I stood there for at least a minute before my brain could make sense of it. ...

Embrace Richmond has been doing Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) in Richmond, Virginia for eight years.  Today I was challenged to put the “E” into ABCD.  What is the “E” that has been missing?  It is economics.  Healthy communities are communities with healthy economic...

  This past week I had a chance to live the truth of this video – “No one can do anything truly great alone.”  While owners are absolutely necessary to the process of community transformation, it really is a team sport.   This past weekend the Southside Soldiers...

I love owners.  My father owned several restaurants and my mother still owns her own small business.  Technically, non-profits don’t have owners but for me ownership is not a legal status but a state of mind.  So, I function like the owner of Embrace Richmond. Owners are like parents,...

I get several emails a week from people wanting to meet with me to learn how their church can transition from relief based approaches to more relational ministry.  They arrive with a laundry list of all the good works their church is doing.  The typical list looks like this – a food...

I hate commercials so much that I only watch free TV shows on Amazon Prime, which means I see things years after most people.  I doubt many will remember this scene from season four of Grey’s Anatomy where George and Izzie are trying to talk to Dr. Bailey. Bailey is staring off into the...

Our community development efforts the Hillside Court community have reached a level of maturity that requires the Embrace Richmond staff step back in order for the residents and partners to step forward into ownership.   In other words we are “decreasing so that they might increase” to...

  Throughout Jesus’ parables,  He refers to “The Kingdom of Heaven” and “Kingdom of God”.  Here are the ones I came across in my search, perhaps not complete but as you can see there are a lot of parables about The Kingdom. The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat  Matthew...

  Dear Mr. President,   I thought your State of the Union address was well crafted, eloquently delivered and offered something for everyone.  I agreed with nearly everything you proposed.  However, there was one very significant issue that I have to disagree with you on –...

I am reading and reflecting on Cynthia Bourgeault’s book, “The Wisdom Jesus.”  It is one of the most challenging and thought provoking books that I have read in a long time.  Some of her insights are profound and others just make me run for the Tylenol to keep my head from...