About a month ago, on a Sunday night, my mom took my dad to the emergency room because he had a fever that wouldn’t go away. After discovering his blood pressure was extremely low, they admitted him to the hospital. Then they sent him to another hospital. By the time I got there three days … Continue reading
A couple of Sundays ago we decided to skip church. My son, Jack, was getting over strep. My husband, Matt, was trying to recover from some bug he has yet to get over. Our dog, Leia, was sick. And I was tired. Jack envisioned a morning of video games. Matt envisioned a nap. I envisioned … Continue reading
Prayer: God of dirty feet and sticky fingers, Of messy-broken and squeaky-clean, With our words, Help us bless. With our hands, Help us heal. With our feet, Help us walk in your ways. Amen. Scripture reading: John 13:1-20; 31-35 Memory verse: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have … Continue reading
There’s a special moment that comes at the end of a memorial service. It’s our closest brush with actually letting go of our loved one. In my five years of being a pastor, I have learned to love this moment. It’s a moment of prayer, a special prayer called the Commendation. To commend means to … Continue reading
What do we tell our children when terrible things happen? Just last week, a teenage girl in our church was brutally murdered, the news broadcasting repeatedly the crime details. The day after her death, we gathered for Sunday worship, the sanctuary crowded with family, friends and church members seeking solace and support. In December, the … Continue reading
Prayer: God of faith and God of Promise, in this season of Lent, remind us again of your sacred love. Remind us to trust in You, shower us with patience, and give us perseverance along this 40-day journey. Amen. Scripture: Luke 19:28-40 (The Message) After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When … Continue reading
Photo by Matt Clingan It was Martin Luther who said, “Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” I always have the same reaction to this quotation: Guilt. Capital-G Guilt. And I’ll be honest with you, I sometimes also … Continue reading
Too often my life feels super chaotic… I know, who’s life doesn’t feel like that sometimes? I try to set some self-care discipline around life to help create order from the chaos. I’ve realized that “balance” isn’t really what I crave. Balance is status quo, static, and unmoving. What I need in chaos is creation. … Continue reading
Prayer Say together this modern psalm, the beginning of a poem by e.e. cummings: i thank You God for most this amazing day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes (from E.E. Cummings: Complete Poems, 1904-1962) Scripture Reading … Continue reading
(This is our Easter Tree. We write or draw a picture of things we are thankful for on the flowers and things we are praying about on the leaves.) ‘Tis the season, the season I look forward to every year: Lent. It is a time of Bright Sadness. It is a time of reflection. It … Continue reading
Practicing Families 