This past January my preaching group spent a week in Malibu with Professor Christine Yoder. Christine teaches Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and the week she spent with us was as engaging as any in my memory. She has written a commentary on the Book of Proverbs, so we spent most […]
Easter Blessings Abound
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! That powerful refrain still echoes in my heart as I move into these post-Easter days. I am deeply grateful for the energy and passion which countless church members and the staff team with whom I serve poured into the preparations for the services. They moved chairs, baked bread, […]
Sunday’s Coming
Many will remember that classic refrain of the church that shouts a word of defiance when some “Friday” has done its worst: Sunday’s coming. What that means, of course, is that the church knows and proclaims the truth of what God has power to do. With death-defeating power, the God of life can turn even […]
A Sad Discovery
One of my daughters has been asking to play soccer for about 3 years now, so when she came home from school clutching the flyer in her hand this year, we finally agreed. And, in what has turned out to be yet another in my growing list of “father errors,” I also signed up to […]
As Our Officers Are Trained
One of the great joys in my life in recent days has been working with our incoming officers as they prepare for ordination and installation. We completed the second 3-hour session last night, and my heart overflows in admiration for what they are putting into their efforts. I sometimes wonder if the congregation is aware […]
When Your Child Is Baptized
It’s taken me a bit longer than I imagined to channel my swirling thoughts and emotions since the day Aaron was baptized. Sometimes things converge with such power that you can barely stand as God’s grace washes over you, and that’s what happened to me at the font on March 8. There was something about […]