Every Friday night we have dinner with the family – as we all set the table and prepare for everyone to come to the table and sit, and especially as all of the food is there and we are just waiting for the time to pray, my niece and nephew like to sneak bites from the…
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The trials of being a female pastor
Memo to other young women clergy out there: don’t wear a skirt to a graveside service. I have this amazing, comfortable, beautiful a-line skirt that I wear for many many many important and solemn events. It works perfectly with a black sweater or jacket and has a wonderful touch of femininity and reverence. But it…
Down to the River to Pray
The last few days have been simply overwhelming in my life. The first reason is that there is just a lot to do. My weekend was jam packed full of good church related things like a Holy Spirit filled training with leaders from my church and a beautiful celebration of marriage and excitement about renovations…
Zen and the Art of Car Maintenance
I was pleasantly surprised to find that my friend Sean and I have been reading the same book – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (P.S.) I had started it once, and as I’m planning on purchasing a car in the near future, thought it might be good to pick up…
outline preaching
Some weeks are hard for preaching. I usually am able to take the time to get into the texts and to prayerfully discuss them with colleagues and to stew over the gospel message as I do the things that it takes to be the church… and other things as well. But some weeks, there is…
levels and dimensions
Last month at our county ministerial alliance gathering, we got to chatting about the books we were reading. One pastor mentioned a book – and of course the title escapes me – but it had something to do with how we invite people into deeper discipleship. I actually think that it was “Simple Church: Returning…
Living Among the Dead
Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Why are you looking for life among places where there is only death? Why are you looking for light in total darkness? Why are you looking in all the wrong places? Those questions all barraged me when I sat down and reflected on our gospel…
Because they didn’t let me give up…
While I was on vacation with my family these past few weeks, we had quite a few trials and tribulations to undertake. First of all, there was the struggles with health that might have prevented some of us from even going. But with a lot of prayer and new ideas from doctors and a perseverence…