OK, I am sheepishly now going to admit something to you: I got Advent wrong! Usually, the first Sunday in Advent falls after Thanksgiving and we went about our sermon planning and prep as if that were so. Only it wasn’t! We were early by one week. You’d think a “religious professional” would get that […]
A family away from home
It is perhaps ironic, certainly providential (we are Presbyterian after all), that this Thanksgiving weekend also marks the beginning of Advent, our month-long celebration in anticipation of the coming of Christ. Ironic/providential in that it is also a story of a young family unexpectedly compelled by their government to be away from their home in […]
The Greatest Rescue
I love Festival of Hope weekend. It is so fun to watch boxes of product arrive in the weeks leading up to the event, and hear our pricing volunteers “ooh” and “ahh” at scarves, necklaces, and handbags as we pull them out of the boxes. I love the way the weekend makes our church buzz […]
Living wisely in an age of terror
I have the pleasure of mentoring three young pastors-in-training every Tuesday morning. We cover a wide variety of topics that will better prepare them for a life of vocational Christian ministry—one example of our Beyond These Walls commitment to “Releasing Leaders.” This week, however, we were discussing a topic that, I promise you, never came […]
How to Create Some Space for God!
Have you ever felt that nudge? A friend, co-worker, family member, or someone you just met is talking, and you sense the conversation could take a spiritual turn. But what do you say? What don’t you say? How can you bring up God without shutting the connection down? About 150 of you been gathering for […]