Every week during our church service, we explore a different spiritual discipline intended to help us grow to become more like Jesus in our everyday lives. (Because going to church isn’t the point – becoming like Jesus is!) And during this particular church season of Ordinary Time, we’re exploring practices that line up with the […]
Nourishing Fruit
Was it just me or did anyone else feel some incredible discomfort in hearing the lectionary passages this morning? Psalm 52’s “Judgment on the Deceitful,” Amos’s condemning prophecy against those who give little and take much, the weighty responsibility of Colossians 1, the awkwardness of Martha complaining to Jesus in Luke 10? Sometimes it’s easier […]
God Loves to Throw Parties
Most of us don’t set out each day with “ill intentions.” We certainly don’t intend to harm other people and we’re not intentionally trying to walk a few steps farther away from Jesus. But the thing of it is, we’re actually really skilled at managing our image so it appears we’re doing just fine. In […]
Holding Life Loosely
Every one of us has something we care deeply about. There are people in your life you can’t imagine living without, and plans we’re passionate about. Maybe you’re planning for the future and investing a lot of time and effort in orchestrating your dreams. Maybe you have a hobby, a craft, or a sport you […]
Why we do church
Following Jesus is about so much more than checking a “Christian” box on a survey. It’s even more than about going to church on Sunday (*gasp*). I believe following Jesus means living like Jesus: seeking to be prayer-filled, rooted in Scripture, holy in lifestyle, Spirit-empowered, and social-justice oriented in the midst of living out our […]
Step One is Rough
Being a Christian is about more than checking a religion box on a survey. Going to church is about more than the style of music or the brilliance of the pastor or the roast of the coffee. To be a Christian is to literally follow Christ, and in so doing our lives look more and […]
Loving Everybody, Always
To follow Jesus is to respond to God’s invitation to love everybody, always. For the past few weeks I have been reading a book with a group of earnest Jesus followers. Everybody, Always by Bob Goff is all about “Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People.” Sounds simple, right? A little […]
God With Us
For the 7 weeks since Resurrection Sunday, we have been aligning ourselves with the Spirit Empowered Stream of Christian Tradition, seeking the power of the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. We cling to the message Jesus gave to his disciples as he predicted his ascension back to the right Hand of His […]
Grappling with Grief
Why is grief so weird? Why is it so surprising? There are times in life when I have been prepared for the tears. I’ve sat at the bedside of a grandparent, knowing the end is near. I’ve walked into the funeral home anticipating the open casket and that time-stands-still moment of walking slowly past to […]
Being Sober-Minded
Years ago I sat in a circle of people whom I had just met a few days before. We were classmates, a cohort to journey together through the next few semesters of grad school. At the close of our weeklong residency, someone had suggested we take time to tell each other the truth, to tell […]