A prayer for our human family torn by violent conflict, war, and natural disaster
"The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he [God] utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." -Psalm 46:6-7 Let us pray, O God, author and giver of peace, in whose image and likeness each of us has been...
Self-Care isn’t just a coined word
"I'm tired,” "I'm fatigued," "I'm worn out,” “I’m overwhelmed.” I’ve heard many express similar feelings over the past six-months as our society continues to transition in so many ways. People have had to adapt their rhythms of life to rapid and often uncomfortable...
The Mad Messiah (June, 2021)
“The Contrariness of the Mad Messiah” is a title of one my favorite poems by Wendell Berry. In the poem, Berry’s reveals how the life of the protagonist, the Mad Farmer, stands in contrast to the society around him. In a beautiful way, the Mad Farmer reveals the...
Restore: Recovering the Vision of Women in the Church
"The Family of God," a phrase that is used a lot, sometimes with little thought. When you get past the idealized imagery, the truth of the matter is that in today’s world (and yesterday’s as well) all members of the family have not been seen or treated with equal...
A Memorial Day Prayer
On this Memorial Day, we would like to remember those who lost their lives to war along with the many who are no longer with us that served and loved others well. Below is a Memorial prayer that can be used as a time of reflection and remembrance. "Blessed are those...
Holy Who: Discovering God the Spirit in our Life
Pentecost commemorates the indwelling of God the Spirit in the People of God and birth of the Church. Coinciding with Pentecost, we are launching a new sermon series called, Holy Who?: Discovering God the Spirit in our Life. Some people exclusively think of the Holy...
Priorities: What’s Really Important?
A favorite parlor game is to try and answer the question: If you had to leave your burning house, what would you grab to take with you? It is a quick assessment of priorities. Of course, we don’t live in constantly burning buildings, but our days are filled with...
Navigate: Better Decisions and Fewer Regrets
Decisions are important. They also have consequences. They impact the direction and quality of your life. As followers of Jesus, we realize that the circumstances we encounter are not always clear or ‘black and white’. And while nobody plans to muddle their life with...
Looking into the Mirror
I grew up watching the Star Trek adventures of Captains Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and Sisko. As a kid, the voyages in the ‘final frontier’, the technology far beyond anything we currently have, and the unique characters often sparked awe and wonder in me. This was...
Forgiving Yourself
The Dilemma Most Christians sitting in church on a Sunday morning would accept the fact that God forgives us. They hear it from the pulpit, remember it from a Sunday School class, and are pretty sure it’s in the Bible somewhere. And yet, in spite of believing that to...
Have you stayed long enough?
It may be a geographical location, relationship, employment or a state of mind. Once a year my Father would come to visit my family. I would always ask him to stay longer because I loved our special time. He would always reply, “Sandra, I love being with you but...
The Power of Being Present and the Work of Silence
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" - Romans 12:15 Is it easy or difficult for you to listen to a friend or family member express deep emotions? The most common challenge people have is not knowing what to say to someone who is in pain....