Tuckpointing as a spiritual investment

In Joshua 24:13, God declares to the Israelites: “You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.” The Israelites had moved into the Promised Land and were embarking on a new phase of their journey as the people of God when God reminds them...

The gift of children in the pews

There were A LOT of children in worship that day.   Some of them were singing with the children’s choir.   Some of them were leading prayers.   Some of them were processing in the light, the bible, the cup, and the bread.   Some of them were munching doughnuts with...

Through the lens of Pastoral Care

I recently discovered that my name tag says Associate Pastor for Pastor Care.  Apparently “al” would not fit. As many of you are aware, we have had a fair number of funerals over the past few weeks.  Each one matters, each family and everyone who walks...

Seeing God’s church and our discipleship

After attending the Greensboro MLK breakfast two weeks ago, I got on a plane to Atlanta to attend the first-ever Matthew 25 Summit. The Summit was a gathering of pastors and church members seeking to learn more about how to put into practice the teachings of Jesus to...

When we most need to pray

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Capital campaign and Lent and 200th plans, oh my!  Shetler discernment and worship and women’s retreat, oh my!  Hunger ministries and Christian formation and preschool, oh my! Maybe it is just me, but sometimes when there are a lot...

Realizing God’s vision of oneness in Christ

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 95 next Monday were he still alive. King was a revolutionary leader who cast a powerful vision for what America could be: a land of equality, unity, and justice. He dedicated his life to transforming America to...

Christ’s light in the new year

As Jill preached on a passage in Luke 2 yesterday, the words of Simeon’s song have stayed with me.  “For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see: a light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel” –...

In between the advents

We have made it once again to Bethlehem to see this thing that God has made known to us.  We remember the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Scriptures of the New Testament that lead us to Bethlehem, to pay homage to the child, to Jesus. We find ourselves in the...

The joy and hope of disruption

The world is about to change. That is the promise of Christmas. The promise of the coming of the Messiah. The promise of God becoming human. Mary articulates this promise and expectation in her song of praise (Magnificat) in Luke 1:46-55.   Mary is often portrayed as...

What, then, shall we do?

I don’t know about you, but lately I find myself overwhelmed with the state of the world. I know headlines filled with war and pain resound through the ages, nonetheless we occupy this time and space, called to be faithful in the face of current calamities. What,...