Season of Easter Celebration

As children gathered in the courtyard yesterday between worship services, they had baskets in hand.  They were eagerly searching, high and low, for a plethora of colorful Easter eggs.  It was beautiful.  And it was joyous. I don’t know about you, but I remember many...

King Kleenex

This past Thursday I had the honor and privilege to be crowned King Kleenex complete with crown and cape. Phae was crowned Queen Kleenex. We read a story to two of the preschool classes about what it means to live in a caring kingdom. The preschool has been collecting...

In this Lenten season

As I sat at the dining room table, wondering what to write, I saw a sketch sitting there. It reminded me of a passage I read a few weeks ago that continues to come to mind, one that I continue to wonder over, particularly in this Lenten season. “The earth is the...

What Shall We Give Up, and What Shall We Add?

Last Wednesday we started the liturgical season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. The season of Lent in the church is a time when we focus on this call to return to the Lord. It is a time of prayer, fasting and self-examination in preparation for the celebration of the...

Overview of Lent

King cakes, pancakes, roses, chocolates, and ashes – it is going to be a full week!  This Wednesday we begin the season of Lent, the six weeks of penitence in which we reflect on Christ’s life and Christ’s death.  During this time, we prayerfully prepare for the...

Just Checking In

Perhaps among all the news stories about all the challenging things our community, nation and world are facing, you saw the story about Elmo.  Yes, Elmo, now it has been a minute or two since our daughters were watching Sesame Street, but this last week Elmo asked a...

Give Some of Your Time

The mountains of North Carolina are a special place, especially Montreat. It’s a thin place where it feels as if heaven and earth meet; a place to be in God’s beautiful creation, a place of memory for me and so many of you all. The first week of January was a special...

Wanted: Youth Director

Lisa, Donna, and I met this week and began our conversation with the fact that it felt like Groundhog Day, as in that movie where the guy keeps reliving the same day over and over and over again. We were yet again discussing the search for a youth director after, yet...

Kids Disciple Club

Two weeks ago, Redhead Hall wasn’t only the home to the Young Men’s Bible Class, but also to young messy beautiful children! Or, you might say, the Kids Disciple Club (KDC).  As the Vacation Bible School kids took over the Life Center as they were ‘diving into the...

Past, present, and future

  When families gather to say goodbye to their loved ones, we gather in the Virginia Gilmer Room prior to the service. Often I find myself in the hallway, you know the one with all the saints that have gone before, the wall of elders. Many who have never been to...