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Michael J. Brooks shares humorous and thoughtful stories about platform mishaps, worship leadership, and lessons from life in the pulpit.
I’m unsure why her statement never struck me before as it did in preparing for Easter. I used the final of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus.
Is the church after your money? Pastor Michael J. Brooks reflects on giving, visitors, and why churches should steward gifts with grace.
Michael J. Brooks reflects on a childhood memory of a tragic Friday and connects it to the meaning, sorrow, and hope of Good Friday.
Michael J. Brooks uses a sleep study experience to reflect on church naps, Eutychus, and giving God our best in Sunday worship.
A lot of people are upset over my sermon. I preached about money and shared what one writer called “[Regan’s] most embarrassing press conference.”
The late radio teacher, J. Vernon McGee, had a famous line: “When Satan fell, he fell into the choir loft!” This comment may be a bit arcane since contemporary churches may not have a loft or choir, but a ‘praise team” on stage or platform. But maybe McGee was onto something—at least in a few […]
Our parents thought they were anarchists and subversives sent across the pond to corrupt our morals—something of a payback for the Boston Tea Party. The Beatles had long hair. They were trend-setters. We teens began to follow suit. The pictures look funny now. I remember one night watching the news with our family. Anti-Vietnam protestors […]
The Roman god Janus was the god of two faces. A mature face looked back with reflection. A youthful face looked forward with anticipation. How fitting the first month of the year is named for him in the sense that we do both things. I looked back at 2025 in my inaugural sermon this year […]
A colleague accosted me in the Monday morning pastors meeting after Bob and Kay joined our church the day before. He told me he’d invested many hours in marital counseling leading to their recommitment, and he was disturbed to hear they’d presented themselves for membership in our church. He believed I’d “courted” and persuaded them […]
This column was first used on Oct. 2, 1987 during a time of several national strikes: It was announced today that the nation’s pastors have planned a work stoppage to begin at midnight Sunday. This action follows on the heels of the baseball, air controllers and National Football League strikes, and may be the most […]
A pastor on a denominationally related Facebook page took issue with ministers dressing casually in the pulpit. This is truly an unwinnable argument. Many congregations have been influenced by the contemporary church movement, though this movement from the 80s is hardly contemporary anymore. One of the precepts is that members intentionally “dress down.” A common […]
My neighbor stopped me to announce he’d taken up lawn care as a second job. He asked if I’d be interested in patronizing him. I’ve always taken care of our yard, without charge, but I know sometimes things happen on weekends, or I get rained out. “How much would it cost?” I inquired. “Probably about […]
Our Alabama Baptist retreat at Shocco Springs is a gorgeous place, and I’ve enjoyed every event I’ve attended there. Several years ago, I attended a two-day training course for pastors. A conference for senior adults was on site at the same time. I saw that the other group was having a concert that night when […]
The presidential campaign in 1976 was a bitter one, pitting the incumbent, Gerald R. Ford, against the challenger, Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter. Ford was named vice president after the resignation of Spiro Agnew and became president after the resignation of Richard Nixon
It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Actually, no. It was a long time ago, but it wasn’t so far away. It was at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. Ethics professor Dr. Henlee Barnette taught one day about God and government. In his lecture, he read from a […]
I talked with her lately and she told me, good-naturedly, about her “divided” family. “I’m Episcopalian, and I married a Pentecostal,” she said. There’s nothing wrong with this. I’ve known several “divided” families who made it work. I think the main thing to consider is the children, whether they’re in dad’s church or mom’s church. […]
Many things are different in today’s church. Research shows we took a hit during COVID-19, just as other organizations did. Some who weren’t core members, but on the sidelines, haven’t come back. On average churches have between 60 and 80% of our pre-COVID attendance. But hope springs eternal. We trust these wandering sheep will come […]
It’s said that no one enters ministry for financial gain, but several recent accounts take issue with this. Let me hasten to say that the overwhelming majority of ministers live and work with integrity. And many live below the comparable wages of their parishioners. Nor do pastors take what belongs to others. A former staff […]
It was a simple “aside” during midweek Bible study when I asked attendees how the congregation might react the following Sunday if I asked everyone to take off their shoes in reverence to God, as Moses did at Horeb. A comedian spoke up first, asking for advanced warning so he wouldn’t wear socks with holes […]
It was a mission of mercy with an act of larceny. My wife suggested I visit a relative in Tennessee. I responded as I normally do with, “When do I have time?” But on further reflection, she was right. My relative’s wife has dementia and is in hospice care, and I’d not seen them in […]
On a lark, I located Robert Fulghum’s three books lately and reread them. He was my favorite writer in the ’80s, best-known for “All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” My favorite story is the namesake of his second book. Fulghum reported that firefighters rescued a man from a burning bed. They asked […]
I was in college when our pastor took two or three of us fledgling ministers to the church sanctuary and showed us how to sit up straight on the platform without slouching. “Wear a crisp white shirt and be sure your socks are long enough,” he said. “Don’t forget you speak for God.” I’ve often […]