While in the UK this summer I visited the Isle of Iona, where Saint Columba and his band of monks landed in the 6th-century and proceeded to set up a monastery from which they not only evangelized Scotland but also carried on the monastic tradition of copying and illuminating biblical manuscripts. The most famous of […]
Seeing miracles up close
I met six-month-old Aurora in the men’s prison last week. She’s a fluffy white doodle training to be a Diabetic Service Dog. We watched her detect the scent of hypoglycemia off her trainer…a man who has been incarcerated for many years. Learning to alert her master before he loses consciousness is a skill that could […]
Accountability in action
Presbyterian. Perhaps the most misspelled and least understood of denominational names. I’ve mentioned this before, but if you were to choose a recognizable, intuitive, trendy name for a church, “Presbyterian” would likely not make the short list. Although we may not LEAD with “Presbyterian,” your “Session” (the board of elders—another inscrutable word!) has chosen to […]
How to make your voice heard
Of the many things I have reflected upon since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the thing that has struck me most is that she kept quiet more often than not. Undoubtedly, she had an opinion on many things, whether political policies, climate change, or even her personal opinions about others. Yet, she refrained from […]
Hold on tight!
As I write this in the wee hours of September 14, I realize I am commencing this day my 36th year of ministry at Chapel Hill, a gift for which I will be eternally grateful. There is a wonderful and frenetic energy to Septembers around here as we launch another program year unhindered by the specter […]
Launching Luke
OK…here’s a little quiz. If you had to choose your favorite parable from Jesus, what would it be? How about your top two? Got them in mind? Now, magically, I will read your mind: The Prodigal Son…and the Good Samaritan. How’d I do? Even irreligious people have heard the stories of the Prodigal Son and […]
Ask your questions
I wonder if you had a moment this summer where it became obvious that the person in front of you was starved for community and needed a place to wrestle through their questions from the past couple of years? Perhaps that person is you? I’m so excited that Alpha launches again on September 21. Alpha […]
How to get connected at church
There is a lot going this fall at Chapel Hill! From LifeGroups launching, to Alpha and Celebrate Recovery on Wednesday Nights, Kid’s Ministry, Student Ministry, not to mention our weekly Sunday Services and a myriad of other things. I get that it can be hard to know where to plug in. I hope that you […]
Pardon the Interruption
I wonder if anyone else has been challenged by this “One Anothers” sermon series like I have? I know you have, because each week we get feedback from people sharing how they felt like this message was just for them. I heard someone comment to Pastor Mark that she felt bad that everyone else in […]
You’ve got this!
It was a communion Sunday. People were coming forward to receive the sacrament. I noticed one man in the line who surprised me. Because as far as I knew, he was not a Christian. He’d come to our membership class. He had been reading the Bible. But he was still an explorer. Or so I […]