The colorful leaves on the trees need to be extraordinarily beautiful for any of us to take too much notice. Autumn comes around every year. Soon it will be cold and white, just like last year. Our lives are filled with constant change, but it often happens so slowly or regularly that we don’t really … Read more
There seems to be no relief. Our world has slipped into a persistent agitated state. Perhaps you see it in local and world events, or even your own life. People are agitated, angry and fed up. Our politics are agitated, our race relations are agitated, our international relations are agitated and all that agitation is … Read more
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may … Read more
You can’t be human and completely avoid conflict. Sin has it’s way of turning us inward and lashing outward. When it comes to conflict we know how to dish it and we know what it feels like to take it. What doesn’t come so naturally is how to resolve it. So, here are a few … Read more
It’s a fairly common criticism that churches face. “They’re just ‘playing church.’” I suppose that means the church isn’t serious enough, has lost its purpose or is just going through the motions. Perhaps that’s a worthwhile discussion, but I’m not talking about that here. I’m talking about play. You know, the kind of play you … Read more
Bewildered. That’s how I would describe so many faithful Christians recently. They’ll express a deep confusion about how so many people could exist without faith of any kind. They’ll wonder how so many Christians could embrace teachings and lifestyles that are clearly against God’s created order and even spoken against by Jesus. They’ll speak with … Read more
Living on the edge? While we like to talk about how exciting it is to live on the edge, most of us don’t really like it there. We like things to be secure, comfortable and predictable. So long as we have a safety net of our own creation we can dabble in edgy things without … Read more
One of the highlights of my vocation as a pastor is spending time with our members who are unable to get around. Often the discussion will center on the health challenges these people face and coming to grips with their gradual (or sudden) loss of ability. These people spent decades busy helping others. Now the … Read more
When I was a kid I loved to decorate the house for Christmas. I would pull all the dusty boxes out of storage and happily untangle the garland and the Christmas lights. I would assemble our fake tree and load it with enough decorations so that nobody would know the difference… or so I thought. … Read more
I just bought a brand new smartphone. It’s fun to play with all the new features and enjoy the afterglow of having something new and admirable. But I’ve been through this before. Soon the feelings fade and I’m left with an electronic device that will either be a help or a hinderance. It can be … Read more