Happy New Year, Chapel Hill! Since deadlines require me to write this before Christmas, I have no idea how my holidays went! But my guess is …Christmas Eve was inspiring and a little exhausting, the Christmas morning brought the same satisfied fatigue it has 27 times before: I got up and made Swedish pancakes for […]
Start Your Engines!
In just a few short days we will begin our 90 Day Challenge! What challenge is that, I hear you asking? Well, if you take all of the Gospels, between the four of them there are 89 chapters. We’re going to take 90 days to read through them, one chapter a day. Each time we read […]
Merry Christmas!
On Christmas Day, at 3pm for 10 minutes, the United Kingdom comes to a halt for an annual moment of reflection—the Queen’s Speech. In the midst of all of the Christmas festivities, it is a chance to pause and listen as the Queen reflects upon the year that has been and the meaning of Christmas. […]
Spiritual Smoke Detector
I was having coffee yesterday with one of our mission partners, Doug Burleigh. Doug used to be the president of Young Life and now leads a ministry in Washington D.C., quietly serving and encouraging political leaders from around the world. Doug asked me a question he has asked hundreds of times over the years: “What […]
Of Seahawks and Pharisees
I have been battling with myself these past three months. On one hand, I hate it when a 10:00 Seahawk kickoff means a big drop in Sunday worship attendance. On the other hand, as I’ve been reading through the gospels, I see how many times Jesus fought with the Pharisees over the subject of the […]
Numbers I Am Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! This was a week of numbers for me and I thought I’d share them with you. They are numbers of celebration…and some of them are numbers of opportunity! 803-That’s the number of Covenant Cards that were turned in on last Covenant Sunday; those who said, in specific ways, “I want to be […]
The Craziness of Non-Obedient Discipleship
One of the most piercing questions Jesus ever asked comes in Luke 6:46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? This is reinforced in Jesus’ “Great Commission” in Matthew 28 when he tells his disciples to teach others to “obey all that I have commanded you.” It is […]
How About a Party?
Sunday, November 23, will be “Covenant Sunday” at Chapel Hill, the conclusion of a month during which we have focused with laser-like intensity on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. We’ve journaled our way through the “Sermon on the Mount,” asking the question, “What does Jesus call me to do as his […]
Chainsaw, anyone?
I have a great mother-in-law. None of the standard jokes apply. And one of the things I most admire is Peg’s desire to bring her family together. At her instigation—and frankly, on her dime—we have regular gatherings of family for the purpose of reconnecting, catching up, playing and celebrating life. This weekend is that at Chapel Hill. For the first […]
Why would you go to a family reunion?
The first time I really remember meeting my cousins that live up in this part of the country was at a Family Reunion at Lake Powell. We bought our first family minivan for the cross-country trip from Tennessee to the West. We had funny blue t-shirts that all matched. My cousins taught me how to […]