Wedgewood United Methodist Church is having an online auction with the proceeds going to the Building Fund. I’ve never asked for money on my blog, but I feel responsible for the Building Fund at Wedgewood. I was the pastor there when we decided to build the 1.1 million dollar addition and incurred the huge, expensive …
From Worship Experiences
Irrational Covid Fears Challenge Us All
I read an article in the New York Times this morning that talked about irrational Covid-19 fears. Tom and I are fully vaccinated and have been for three weeks. John and Jackie are getting their second shots today. Mom and Dad and my siblings have all had shots #1 and #2. You would think we …
Recognize Jesus in Life and Death
One of my favorite pastor jokes is the following: A pastor was doing the children’s sermon one Sunday. She asked the children, “What is brown with fur, has a long bushy tail, and collects nuts?” The children were quiet for a moment and then one little boy spoke up, “I know the answer is supposed …
Remodeling Our Hearts According to God
As I write this post, there is a regular, jarring “whomp, whomp, whomp” going on behind me. We are remodeling our bathroom and the demo guy is taking out the tile cemented to the floor. In order to do that, he has to break them into small pieces that (hopefully) come loose enough for him …
Christian Witness Too Subtle
I am very concerned about my Christian witness and I have always been. Can people around me tell that I am a Christian? Am I sharing Christ’s love and helping people see Jesus as I go about my daily life? My Christian witness has never been “preaching on the street corners” bold. I’m too much …
Palm Sunday Outdoor Worship
Last year on Palm Sunday all the churches were closed because of the pandemic. This year things are still different – some churches are closed and some are fully open and many are trying something in between – but things are getting closer to normal. Although Tom and I are not yet fully vaccinated, we …
Centrifugal or Centripetal: The Proper Place of Center
Did you ever experience centrifugal force by playing on a playground merry-go-round when you were a child? I remember delighting in pushing the merry-go-round so fast that kids would go flying off the edges. Of course it was dangerous and sometimes kids got hurt, but that was part of the fun. If you stayed in …
Continuation of Christian Faith Depends on You!
What if the continuation of the Christian faith depended on you? I’ve been pondering this question lately. I’m sure you’ve heard the old version – “If you were in court, accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I’m pretty sure, for me, the verdict would be guilty. There would …
Invitation to Pilgrimage by John Baillie
As part of my morning devotions, I recently read the short book, “Invitation to Pilgrimage” by John Baillie. John Baillie’s book “A Diary of Private Prayer” is one of my favorite devotional books and I read it frequently. The language in both books is beautiful and they are very thought-provoking. John Baillie was a Scottish …
Tzedakah and the Jewish Tradition of Giving
In a sermon before Christmas, Rev. Karen Graham introduced me to the concept of Tzedakah. I had never heard of the term and misspelled it until I looked it up. Tzedakah is related to the Hebrew word for justice. In the Jewish tradition, giving to the poor is a form of social justice. The website …