Pastoral Reflections The more I come to learn about Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), the more his message grows in clarity for me. I used to think MLK’s ultimate dream was improved citizenship rights and equal justice for Black Americans. There was certainly that, but it was more. MLK’s words, “I have a dream that
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When things don’t go as planned…You take a deep breath (or a few a deep breaths) When things don’t go as planned…You step aside,Take a walk,Have a bit of a cry if you need to. When things don’t go as planned…You keep moving, Keep pressing on.Take the next step. One first. Then another. When things
Read MorePastoral Reflections Chuck Colson was once known as President Nixon’s hatchet man. He served as special counsel to Nixon and even became looped into the Watergate Scandal when he was counted as one of the Watergate Seven. He was driven by success and results. Later, he had an encounter with the Gospel and was radically
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As Christmas is passing and we put away the decorations, find places for new gifts, and our gaze drifts from the nativity scene, our minds usually “forget about Christmas” until the season arrives on our doorstep next year. This year during Advent, the thought came to me that many of us tend to see Christmas
Read MorePastoral Reflections The New Year, by default, propels us to look ahead. It is a season that revives our dreams and reboots our goals. So, we tend to make new year resolutions looking forward. These are appropriate. But by extension, we can be tempted to discard the old year as something past and behind. We
Read MorePastoral Reflections This coming Sunday, the Church year turns to Epiphany. It is easy to think, as some folks historically did centuries ago, that the inclusion of all nations in the salvation plan was an afterthought. But, no! God called people of other nations to participate in the Christmas story. So, we read of the
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Waiting is uncomfortable isn’t it? Our culture tends to avoid it at all cost. We have instant gratification at every turn. Even just now as I entered the coffee shop to work in a quiet place, I glanced across the room and every single person was looking at a smartphone or a tablet…even the people
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We enter the season of Advent, the season of waiting. The world enters too, into that physical manifestation of waiting. Cold has settled into our nights and days, and though the sun is still shining most afternoons, life has taken it’s leave–has fallen asleep and sinks deep into its earthen roots. We see this reality
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Fall is always filled with family activities for us. It’s our favorite season and we have many traditions that we look forward to all year. Recently our family visited a pumpkin patch/fall festival that was hosted by a garden center. Our 5 year old, Hosea, loved all the activities, rides, and games they had set
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Wonderful conversations with my niece over tea, sharing grief and broken dreams remind me of the deep truth about seasons. As Fall finally emerges it brings with it a glowing, colorful, richly spiced reminder that even death can be beautiful. We can know this and hold to this hope because we believe that roots run
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