Jury duty, God’s summons

As I write this, I am sitting in the jury assembly room, just back from our lunch break. So far, I’ve not been called to serve. So far, I’ve been sitting, waiting, and working. It is quiet. There is coffee and wi-fi. All in all, not a bad way to spend the day, other...

Reaching toward the sunlight

We meet as a staff to pray on Wednesdays, praying through the congregation’s prayer concerns and lifting your praises. It is beautiful to see the places where you all have sensed God’s presence throughout the week. Oftentimes, the beauty of creation is mentioned –...

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...

Addressing a major problem

Has there ever been a time in your life when you wondered where your next meal would come from? Did you ever have to make a choice between filling a prescription or buying food? Did you ever have to skip a meal so that your child could eat? Most of us don’t know what...

Backyard blessings

Recently Grant and I had the pleasure of an informal, last-minute dinner with friends in our backyard. It was one of those evenings when the temperature was just right, a slight breeze, the sun beginning to set. The friends who joined us are the young Ukrainian couple...

Mama-moods and God-moods

On Wednesday I called home to check on my husband and our 3-month-old.  “He’s been alright, but a bit fussy – he’s in a ‘mama-mood.’ ” We have begun using that term, ‘mama-mood’ when nothing will quite calm our little one except for me coming home. Sometimes his...

“How we can pray for you?”

Recently I was invited to lunch, set up by a layperson and some other pastors. These folks represent different traditions, but under the umbrella of Christians, trusting Christ as our Lord and Savior. We had a nice conversation, sharing about our call stories and...

What happens after Easter?

Today is Easter Monday. Traditionally a day of celebration (and rest for pastors and church staff everywhere) that began in the 15th century. Different Christian traditions celebrate this day in a variety of ways. In the 19th century the Easter Parade tradition...

Reflecting on the reliance of children

Every 3 hours. That is how frequently a newborn eats in the early days of life, sometimes even every 2 hours. If you have a child or have known someone who does, you might remember those early days. Those nighttime feedings feel long and endless. While I sat there one...

Reaching out to Covenant

Friends, Once again we are reeling in the wake of a tragic school shooting, this time in a church school affiliated with our PCA siblings in Christ. We know how close the bonds between a congregation and the school within its walls are and therefore we weep with those...