Marking Time: A Conversation with Kenneth Tanner

Wall calendars. Day planners. Bullet journals. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Holidays. School schedules. Fiscal years. Just some of the ways we mark time.

Bruce Hornsby lyrically wrote about marking time because “that’s just the way it is.”

If all we do is buy into the way things are, then shouldn’t we expect life to be viewed as it always is?

Making Advent Great Again Round 2

We are just days away from the last Sunday of Advent 2017. The day will serve double duty. It is also Christmas Eve. Two Christian celebrations when observing the Christian Calendar. Some churches will choose between the two. Others will observe Advent on Sunday morning and Christmas Eve on Sunday evening. Others will combine the two in one service.

If the Julian Calendar may become routine. so may the Christian Calendar. It too is always in need of renewed greatness. But not for its own notoriety.

Renewing an interest in the Christian Calendar reminds us to mark our time by the life of Jesus. Kenneth Tanner offered this insight in our recent conversation. I think it is worth repeating.

If we are not careful, we will let our normal calendars dictate what is important and who our gods are.

Making Advent Great Again, #MAGA, reminds us that God acts.

Is There Any Good News on Facebook?

Ever changing algorithms mean regular shifts in what you read on your Facebook feed. Attempts to provide the sort of stories and ads grow increasingly accurate every time we click. Reinforcing our predispositions leaves us the same.

Enter Kenneth Tanner.

Rather than await his feed suggestions, Kenneth utilizes Facebook as a means to reflect theologically about the Story of God and our human experiences. He is not preaching. Kenneth is engaging. Rather than depend on others for an angle on life, Kenneth creates content that opens up conversations.

Pastor, lay leader, listen in as Kenneth describes what he has learned interacting on Facebook. It may provide insight into how Facebook could become the very place where simple reflections on life, faith and thinking about God open up space for listening and learning.

Get Out More

Go for a walk. Take your phone. You never know what conversation might trigger new relationships.

It is too easy for pastors to either stay in the office or choose only to spend time out of the office with just a few people. Kenneth takes to the street. He meets more than those in his congregation. In fact, he is engaging his parish.

For some, the notion of a parish may need to be recovered. Others may want to explore what it may mean for their engagement with a larger community as a faith leader.

Kenneth offers helpful thoughts here too.

If you find the podcast helpful, share it with your friends. Share it with your pastor friends as well as folks you know involved in leadership that touches on the pastoral. Also, consider heading over to iTunes, login, search for patheological and give us a five-star rating and a kind review.

About the Author
Husband to Patty. Daddy to Kimberly and Tommie. Grandpa Doc to Cohen, Max, Fox, and Marlee. Pastor to Snow Hill Baptist Church. Graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reading. Photography. Golf. Colorado. Jeeping. Friend. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and should not be construed as representing the corporate views of the church I pastor.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.