Yesterday, our family was boating on the Cedar River and we pulled into this little cove we like to visit. Often, in the summer, it is full of people, but since it was cloudy and cool with sprinkles here and there it was calm and peaceful. Another boat pulled up with two little girls inside……
Ordinary Time
True Worship
“We keep a troubled vigil at the bedside of the world,” writes Howard Thurman, “Thus we clutch the moment of intimacy in worship when we become momentarily a part of a larger whole, a fleeting strength, which we pit against all the darkness and the dread of our times. I want to invite you to…
The Shepherd King
Jesus, our King, is a shepherd at heart.
Even at the end, his concern is always for the flock. It is for the lost, and the least and the last. It is for those who have been forgotten.
The rules are only good in so far as they have led us to be shepherds alongside him in the world.
You see, Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Shepherd of Shepherds and as his people, as his body the church, OUR task is also to care for the flock.
What God Has Sown
In this past month, I have found new appreciation for the Apostle Paul. You see, on top of being an apostle and a scholar, a writer and mentor; in addition to the work he did as a tanner to pay his own way through ministry; he was also a fundraiser. I think that tiny detail…
Defined by Generosity
Our scriptures this morning show us what it means to be generous. They describe to us people and communities who went the extra mile, who dug a little bit deeper, who gave more than what was necessary or expected. They gave more than what was necessary or expected. To be completely honest, those words did…
Unrecognizeable
As we sit here this morning and think about feasting with the saints, I’m thinking about eating a honey and butter sandwich with my grandpa, my Deda. I’m Czech, you know, and my Babi and Deda were big parts of my life growing up. He was a really quiet sort of guy. He didn’t say…
Count the Cost
I have four different apps on my phone that are designed to help me get healthy and fit and lose weight. One of them is a weekly meal plan full of healthy, high protein, low calorie dinner options. It comes complete with a grocery store list and nutritional information for each meal. One…
I Believe…
Nearly five years ago, I lead this “Enough” study with my very first congregation in Marengo. I remember vividly how I had planned out the whole series and had all of my notes ready to go for Sunday morning. I had sat down to start writing about the American dream and how our quest to…