Tiki is sitting at the base of my chair, mewing for me to pay attention to him. I reach out and scratch his head and before I know it, he’s up on my desk, watching the candles flicker. It’s another Saturday night spent working on the sermon for Sunday. I could use New Year’s as…
Sweat.
My life in this past year as a pastor has not been that great for my health. I have way too many sweets coming across my office desk from well-meaning and excellent bakers and cooks in my congregation. And since I love food, I can’t say no. Not to mention that as a United Methodist…
FF: Looking Back, Looking Forward
As we look back we may come to understand how God has worked in and through us in joy and saddness. how we have grown against what may seem impossible odds. As we look forward we may do so with expectation, and we may do so with fear and trembling. As we look back and…
Breakfast.
This morning, we got up and made pancakes and shipwreck (eggs, bacon, diced potatoes and cheese) and used the leftover champagne to make mimosas. And then we got to watch the Hawkeyes kick butt in the Outback Bowl. It’s been a good morning! Yesterday, because of the various errands that I had to run (like…
Happy New Year!!!
It’s a new year and I have a new focus for my blog this year. After watching a friend post pictures every day for one year, I got inspired to do “one year in the life of a pastor.” So check in here every day for a picture and a short story from my life…
Lectionary Leanings – Glimmer of Light
January 4Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72, Ephesians 1:3-14, Matthew 2:2-12 While our church year technically begins with the Advent season, Epiphany has always struck me as a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Perhaps this is in part because of its close proximity to the New Year in the Gregorian calendar. But liturgically, Epiphany has…
whew…
The Christmas season is almost over and I am absolutely exhausted. There were a few days in this past week that I allowed myself to sleep in very late, so I thought that I would make it through just fine, but with four worship services in a week’s time and countless gatherings and people… I…
Good Tidings of Great Joy!
While the Advent journey takes us through an emotional rollercoaster of joy, fear, humility, and anticipation, there is no other emotion to guide the days after Christmas than pure celebration. Each of the readings for this Sunday call us to take a deep breath of relief, to look around at the beauty of what God…