As a kid, our family opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. So perhaps I can blame my parents—I am a victim—for not being very good at waiting for surprises. Frankly, I’m not very good at keeping that kind of secret, either. I love to spread good news! Which is why I told Dawn Davis in […]
I was there when….
If you’ve been around Chapel Hill for a while, you probably have those moments—those shared community moments—that stand out in your memory. You know, the reminiscences that start with the words, “I was there when….” I have a bunch of them. I was there when we baptized my kids. I was there when we ordained […]
$2,640,450 in advance commitments!
If you weren’t able to be with us for worship last week, you missed one of the greatest audible gasps in our worship history as a congregation. When I announced that several dozen of our leading families, from across the financial spectrum, had pledged an astonishing $2,640,450, you almost felt the exhale of air! It was such […]
I Bet YOU’LL Gasp, Too!
We are on the downhill stretch of our “Beyond These Walls” initiative. I wish you could hear the enthusiasm I am hearing about this vision to eliminate our debt, free up $600,000 annually, and begin to invest in beyond these walls ministry as never before. One of our leaders has three men in his LifeGroup […]
Pucker Factor
Let’s face it: when a church announces a new giving initiative, it causes some—perhaps many—to pucker up a bit. Maybe even a lot. I heard from three different people last week who showed up for the launch of “Beyond These Walls: Making Disciples That Make History.” All three admitted that they came a bit reluctantly, […]
Making Disciples That Make History
This year, 2017, is significant in the life of the Christian Church. It marks the 500th anniversary of the launch of what we know as the Protestant Reformation. If enough of you are interested in joining me next June, I hope to lead a Reformation tour. We will stand before the doors of the Wittenberg […]
A Calm in the Storm
I’m sure that I am no different than most of you when I say that I find my life increasingly tumultuous. I was going to say “busy” but, really, that doesn’t do it justice. Perhaps it’s the advent of new electronic media tools in the last decade, but even if you want to, it is […]
Healing Prayer
Even after 10 trips to Israel, there are some sites that still capture my imagination. One of them is the Pool of Bethesda (picture left.). John 5 describes this pool as the setting of one of Jesus’ most spectacular healings. A man paralyzed for 38 years laid by the pool, along with hundreds of other […]
I’m Amazed
Okay, I knew that our Spiritual Warfare sermon series would be provocative, perhaps controversial, certainly unsettling. But I had no idea the buzz it would unleash. The reports and comments I’m receiving indicate that you are engaging in deep, spirited conversations about a topic that we Presbyterians too often avoid. Even more interestingly, there […]
Horns and a Pitchfork
Those of you old enough to remember the Flip Wilson Show will recall the character, “Geraldine,” whose favorite excuse for her naughty behavior was, “The Devil made me do it!” It was always a big laugh line. And frankly, that’s the way most in our culture think of the Devil—a nasty red cartoon character with […]