I always through there were two options when it came to weeds. 1) you could spray chemicals all over them and hope they die… or use more natural chemical reactions like vinegar and hot water to cause them to wither. 2) you could get out there with a hoe, like my deda (grandpa) always did,…
The Body of Christ
we are the church
Ever creeping, creeping charlie
Creeping Charlie was already flourishing in our backyard when we moved in last summer. We had been working on hand pulling some of it and forgot to apply a herbicide on it last fall when it would have been a good time to do so. So this spring, when we worked to till the southern…
Attracting Butterflies
This morning as I sat on the back porch, drinking a cup of coffee, I found a white butterfly flitting around. It is the first one I have had a chance to notice since we moved in. Maybe they have been here before and I just hadn’t stopped long enough to see. Maybe our butterfly garden…
Plural Pronouns and Prayers
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……
a billion organisms and the Body of Christ #iaumc15
Did you know that soil is incredibly diverse and complex? It might look like simple dirt, but one handful contains more living organisms than there are people on the planet. And every part of the soil, every organism has a part to play. They affect chemical and physical properties. There are a billion bacteria…
Delegate!
These are the jobs we are assigned to do as the Church Council, according to the Book of Discipline: Plan and implement all the programs of nurture, outreach, witness and resources. Administer the church organization Envision, Plan, Implement and Evaluate the mission and ministry of the church. Act as the administrative agency of the charge…
Corporate Prayer for the Desperate
Holy and Forsaken God, We come into your presence knowing that you felt utter desperation and loneliness. You felt isolated and forgotten. You felt unimaginable pain. So you are not unfamiliar with our struggles. And that brings us comfort. That brings us hope. For those in our congregation who have been wrestling in the long…
It's a coaching problem…
I was recently talking with a colleague about the fear/frustration that church members think we, as the pastors and staff, are the ones who do ministry. Obviously, since we are the ones getting the paycheck, we should be the ones out making new disciples and teaching and being prophetic and visiting the sick and all…