My beloved Sweetheart Church: We are going to be preaching through the book of Daniel beginning in January, a wonderful study about a man who was living as an exile in a foreign land and yet found a way to be both faithful to God and useful to his culture. In a very real sense, […]
Love endures…
I’ve walked this earth for almost 64 years. I cannot recall a year that was more incessantly irksome. Pandemic, economic travails, political nastiness, racism, violence, wildfires, blood moons … and blood-red suns … it has felt apocalyptic. But it has not all been bad. At least for the Toones. There have been some sweet, redemptive […]
Delayed…but not forgotten
Of all the challenges COVID-19 has posed pastorally in these last eight months, the loss of human connection has been the hardest for me. Ordinarily, our deacons and pastors partner up to call on people in the hospital. It is all but impossible now. Often in the past, I have been called to a person’s […]
Our united state?
It might seem quaint and old-fashioned to a younger generation, but I remember starting every school day standing by my desk, hand on my heart, staring at the American flag hanging on our wall and listening as, over the intercom, a disembodied voice led us in familiar words: “I pledge allegiance….to the flag…of the United […]
Moments of normalcy
In a crazy season like this, we need to look for and grab onto moments of normalcy just to remind us that God is still in control and everything is going to be okay! One of our signs of “normalcy” at Chapel Hill is actually abnormal for most churches: we ordain a lot of pastors. […]
Some GREAT news!
I am so excited and grateful to be able to share with you that our in-person worship attendance numbers continue to grow. Of course, our online numbers are still higher and this is to be expected. Many of our congregation are rightly concerned about their vulnerability to COVID-19 and are wisely worshiping with us from […]
You stink!
You stink! Or at least, you should. So says the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:15: For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Apparently, when […]
Who is that masked man?
Do you remember the name Karl Wallenda? He was a high-wire artist famous for his death-defying walks between skyscrapers and across huge gorges. I mention him because I identify with him right now. As I try to lead this congregation through the smorgasbord of crises that 2020 has dished up, I often feel like I […]
Full steam ahead!
Like all of you, we are anticipating a different sort of start to autumn 2020. But if you assumed things are slowing down at your Sweetheart Church, you’d be wrong! It may look a little different than “normal,” but September at Chapel Hill is full steam ahead! Here is just a brief sampling of what’s […]
Blindsided
Hello, Chapel Hill! I have a friend who flew attack bombers for the Navy. He was involved in the very first attack in the Iraq war. He tells of completing his run and then, suddenly, having alarms going off in his cockpit warning of an enemy behind him. He pulled a hard left, look back, […]