A Prayer for Memorial Day

Jill Duffield wrote this prayer for the Presbyterian Outlook. We invite you to take a moment to share it today. Lord God, until there is war no more and you wipe every tear from every eye, we will remember. We will remember those who have served and died for the sake...

Preparing for the General Assembly

I was recently in Salt Lake City in my work with the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board preparing for the upcoming General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which kicks off in just under a month. We spent a couple days ironing out logistics and figuring out how...

We are part of God’s family

In a book entitled, After Baptism: Shaping the Christian Life, author John P. Burgess walks through our identity after baptism, being marked with the sign of God, name and claimed for all time. In the second chapter he wrestles with this question: “But isn’t love...

Present to the presence

Each Wednesday morning at preschool chapel, Ms. Lisa leads the children in a call to worship.  Using hand gestures and words the children say: “With eyes to see and ears to hear, with mouths to sing and hearts to love, let us worship God together.” As we participate...

Our mental health stories

  Everyone has a story. Some years back, perhaps the late 1990’s or early 2000’s, we had a church member offer their story from the pulpit.  It was May, Mental Health Awareness month.  This member shared their journey with depression. You could have heard a pin...

Thank you for this season

Talking with one of you a few weeks ago, we stood in the pews and looked up – up at the glorious rose window and the chancel and all that it holds.  You, in your wisdom, said, “do you ever stop and look in awe.”  You explained. There is awe, both in the beauty of the...

Keep creation good

One of the things that fascinates me about Genesis 1 is that after each day of creation, God declares what has been made good. This act of creation is the overflowing of God’s creativity and love into a universe full of majesty and wonder. Creation, God declares, is...

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...