Oh, how lovely it feels, when we all live in unity, writes the Psalmist (Psalm 133). Grant that we all, made one in faith, may find the wholeness that reaches all of humankind, writes Mr. Green in the hymn we just sang (O Christ, the Healer). We know how good it feels when everybody gets…
Wheat & Tares
the church in the world: mission, justice, good news
Finding Faith at the Lunch Table
If I think back to the first moment when faith sunk in deep into my life, it would be sitting around a lunch table at Simpson College. I wasn’t actually a college student then, but a sophomore in high school participating in our Youth Annual Conference. It was hosted there at the college every year…
With Careful Intention
I have a nasty smart phone habit. Every commercial break, every need to stretch, every chance I get, I check my phone. I browse through Facebook posts. I glance at tweets. I absorb a lot and pay little attention to what is happening right here, right now. I realized that I often do not interact,…
The praise of crickets
Today, I discovered this recording of crickets, overlayed with the same recording slowed down. Their song is a hymn… voices in harmony… like the sounds of a human chorus. It got me thinking about Luke 19: 37-40. Even if we don’t notice, the whole creation is lifting up a song of praise. Even if we…
The Side of the Road
I had an experience last week that deeply shook me. My dad asked me to come help him move farm equipment as he moved from one set of fields to another for harvest. In essence, I was a chauffeur and would follow the tractor or combine and then take him back to the farm to…
Where Have All the Young Girls (and Boys) Gone?
I’ve been taking guitar lessons at my local rec center. And with one of the simplest chord progressions – C, Am, F, G7 – the Pete Seeger song, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” is pretty easy to learn. In fact, I had been playing it the other afternoon before I discovered some really interesting…
More than we can ASK or IMAGINE
On the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, a lot of people are talking about dreams today. Dreams for racial equality. Dreams for unity. Dreams for access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Dreams for our children. Dreams for reconciliation. Dreams for a future with hope and freedom, love and peace. As…
Good News and Good Works
I’ve had some conversations recently about the work of Imagine No Malaria from folks who are concerned that we are doing good, but we aren’t sharing the gospel. My first response to that question is to seek out and share more stories about how lives are being changed and, yes, saved, because of the work…