Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Religion

Why I ditched the M.Div…and am still a pastor

By

dirt

Back in 2009, I wrote a post entitled, “Where to go to seminary? A preliminary comparison between seminaries in Canada, the United States, and Korea.”

Since then, a lot of things have changed – especially my outlook regarding seminary and the usefulness of theological education. I touched on that topic briefly in my post, “The Future of Seminary.”

Well, after viewing some activity over those two previous posts, I thought I’d give my view as to where I think the future of seminary education is heading by explaining where I’m at. Namely, why I ditched the M.Div (Masters of Divinity) and am still a pastor.

Here it is…

[Read more…] about Why I ditched the M.Div…and am still a pastor

A Paradox? Are you going to rest during the Christmas Season?

By

Work, work, work, eat, eat, eat, shop, shop, shop, work, work work.

If you have no idea what I’m referring to above then you probably aren’t that familiar with the typical North American holiday season…especially Thanksgiving in the States and Christmas in Canada.

Let me flesh it out for some of you:

  • Christmas in Canada: We work, then eat turkey (or some other big feast), then we shop on Boxing Day, and then we go back to work.
  • Thanksgiving in the States: We work, then eat turkey (or some other big feast), then we shop on Black Friday, and then we go back to work.

So many of us look forward to the holiday season, yet squander the time off with so many “things” to do, that we go back to work only slightly refreshed…if even.

When we look at the creation story, we learn the idea of rhythms. [Read more…] about A Paradox? Are you going to rest during the Christmas Season?

Growing through Community over the Christmas Holidays

By

We all tend to spend our holidays in different ways. Some of us spend it with our families, others alone. Some with big Turkey feasts and others with mac and cheese or bbq chicken from the grocery store. However, the one thing that stays constant throughout the holiday season is our need for community.

Although this may be a pretty funny picture of me sitting all alone, and not being a part of the party, this is how a lot of people feel throughout the Christmas holidays. In fact, for some of your small group members, your group may really be the only family they have in town.

So here is a brief list of suggestions for your group to continue to grow through community over the holidays. Feel free to consider one, two, none, or all of them.

[Read more…] about Growing through Community over the Christmas Holidays

I am…sent

By

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m a plumber.”

“I’m a Conservative.”

“I’m gay.”

“I’m Buddhist.”

“I’m Canadian.”

“I’m a guitarist.”

“I’m ____________.”

What did you think when you read that list above? Sound familiar? Chances are, you’ve either said or heard at least one of those statements.

Depending on the situation we’re in, we always tend to answer these “I am” questions differently. Some individuals identify themselves based on their occupation, others in accordance with their political views, and others in regards to their sexuality, faith, or hobbies. However, none of those categories define who we are as humans. All of those things can change and/or pass away. We need to define ourselves based on the one thing that will never pass away [Read more…] about I am…sent

Marriage and Spirituality

By

Ever since Christina and I got married, we have always made it a point to keep our marriage centered on God. As a result, we would oftentimes use a devotional or we would sometimes just dig into scripture together. What I’ve discovered is that the format isn’t as important as the fact that you are drawing closer to God together.

It’s fascinating to see what happens when we alter our focus just a bit.

Scenario 1: Spouses focus on each other and strengthening their relationship.

Result 1: Marriage relationship is strengthened.

Scenario 2: Spouses focus on strengthening their relationship to God together.

Result 2: Stronger relationship with God and stronger marriage relationship.

When’s the last time you prayed with your spouse? When’s the last time you talked about spiritual matters together?

Husbands: Take the initiative.

Wives: Don’t wait for your husbands to take the initiative, you take it.

I just purchased Closer: Devotions to draw couples together by Jim and Cathy Burns (http://amzn.to/agoltE) as a practical action step to draw closer to my wife by drawing closer to God together.

What steps are you taking?