Today, in my devotional reading this thought from The Spiritual Life struck me: To be human is to pray… prayer is the disciplined dedication to paying attention. As I sit here and try to write this morning, I must admit I am distracted. Distracted by the remnants of water in our basement (our backup sump…
Wheat & Tares
the church in the world: mission, justice, good news
Alternatives to Herbicide
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,…
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…
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…
Outside – In
Over the past eight months, I have learned a lot about the people of Immanuel UMC. I had heard you were friendly and welcoming, hospitable and that this was a caring church, but those are really just words until you see them lived out in people’s lives. And having a fresh set of eyes –…
Ashes and Lattes
In the middle of a public place, a busy coffee shop, surrounded by strangers… people got real. We hosted our first ashes to go in the community and while we didn’t have a large turnout, the conversations were deep and holy. I got to know my parishioners better. I heard what brings they joy and…
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.
Exercise and Practice
This thought was waiting for me in my email inbox this morning, as I finished day one of working out again: Here is a traveler. He has launched out on a long journey. He comes to the first inn, and there he remains forever. His reason? He has been told that many travelers have come…