Seth J. Pierce associate professor of communication at Union College in Lincoln, Neb. Formerly wrote as lead pastor of the Puyallup Church in the Washington Conference. By Seth J. Pierce The Power of Appreciation I have a new respect for teachers. Of course, I respected them before accepting my new role as a faculty member at Union College, but now I really respect them. While having summers off and weekends free is a new (and welcome) experience, first-ye... Read more Speaking Truth in Love The art of thoughtful dialogue is fast becoming a lost commodity among us. Considering opposing viewpoints is increasingly distasteful to many. Read more It's All About the Destination So many people have shared with me the phrase, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” My guess is those people have not moved halfway across the country with three kids and three pets in one minivan in two days. After having com... Read more Watching Our Words “If it was not the Lord's will, it would not have taken place.” Read more The Widow's Echo In Ovid’s rendition of the tale of Narcissus, he writes of a talkative nymph, much admired by Venus, the goddess of love, for her beautiful voice. The nymph plays a trick on the wife of Jupiter, making her think Jupiter is in the city when he real... Read more Infallibility and Authority Most of the time this column shares a personal reflection or a story with a note of encouragement for a situation you may be facing. This time, however, I am stuck, and I am going to let you wrestle with my stuckness. Besides, I’m still recovering... Read more No Itinerary, Only a Promise I once read a story about a young cartographer who returned to his ancestral village to create the first map of the area. When he completed his work and the beautiful new map was crafted, he showed his father what he had done. His father was not p... Read more Life in the 'Fidgetal Age' In 1934 George Herbert Mead (and later with the help of Harold Blumer) created a communication theory known as symbolic interactionism. The essential idea is that people assign meaning to objects in the world and that influences how they interact.... Read more Peacemaker One of the internet’s greatest gifts to me is the recurring picture of two fighting siblings in an “I Love You” shirt — a single T-shirt, worn by both parties, that almost forces the kids to hug and be close to each other. Perhaps it works as a de... Read more Dysfunctional Self-Sufficiency Recently I watched a TED Talk during which organizational consultant Yves Morieux discusses the lack of positive change in organizations. In my estimation that includes churches. He suggests the root of our issues relate to “complicatedness.” Read more Pagination Page 1 Next page ››
The Power of Appreciation I have a new respect for teachers. Of course, I respected them before accepting my new role as a faculty member at Union College, but now I really respect them. While having summers off and weekends free is a new (and welcome) experience, first-ye... Read more
Speaking Truth in Love The art of thoughtful dialogue is fast becoming a lost commodity among us. Considering opposing viewpoints is increasingly distasteful to many. Read more
It's All About the Destination So many people have shared with me the phrase, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” My guess is those people have not moved halfway across the country with three kids and three pets in one minivan in two days. After having com... Read more
The Widow's Echo In Ovid’s rendition of the tale of Narcissus, he writes of a talkative nymph, much admired by Venus, the goddess of love, for her beautiful voice. The nymph plays a trick on the wife of Jupiter, making her think Jupiter is in the city when he real... Read more
Infallibility and Authority Most of the time this column shares a personal reflection or a story with a note of encouragement for a situation you may be facing. This time, however, I am stuck, and I am going to let you wrestle with my stuckness. Besides, I’m still recovering... Read more
No Itinerary, Only a Promise I once read a story about a young cartographer who returned to his ancestral village to create the first map of the area. When he completed his work and the beautiful new map was crafted, he showed his father what he had done. His father was not p... Read more
Life in the 'Fidgetal Age' In 1934 George Herbert Mead (and later with the help of Harold Blumer) created a communication theory known as symbolic interactionism. The essential idea is that people assign meaning to objects in the world and that influences how they interact.... Read more
Peacemaker One of the internet’s greatest gifts to me is the recurring picture of two fighting siblings in an “I Love You” shirt — a single T-shirt, worn by both parties, that almost forces the kids to hug and be close to each other. Perhaps it works as a de... Read more
Dysfunctional Self-Sufficiency Recently I watched a TED Talk during which organizational consultant Yves Morieux discusses the lack of positive change in organizations. In my estimation that includes churches. He suggests the root of our issues relate to “complicatedness.” Read more
