Twelve of us were gathered last week at Ward EPC Church in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan for our General Assembly, the annual national gathering of our denomination. In the opening worship service, our own Julie Hawkins preached (magnificently), the first EPC woman pastor to preach to the Assembly in person. Ever. Then our own […]
A life worth imitating
Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers from the famed children’s TV show Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmys in 1997. In his recipient speech, he used his time in a way no one else had before. “All of us have special ones who have loved us into being,” he […]
What a day!
I’m not sure which was my favorite moment of last Sunday’s 10th-anniversary celebration marking our entry into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Possibly when Carolyn Small, our last remaining charter member, stood up (surrounded by her family) to receive our acknowledgment. Or Pastor Jeremy Vaccaro’s (naughty) video. Maybe it was when more than half of the […]
One service…10:00…one service…10:00…one service 10:00…
This Sunday, we will have only one service at 10:00 am. (Did I mention that earlier?) This is one of those Sundays when we want to remember—and celebrate—the fact that we are part of a larger church family. If we typically worship at our classic service, we have brothers and sisters, large and small, that […]
Read More… from One service…10:00…one service…10:00…one service 10:00…
Pick just one
September 13 will mark my 35th year anniversary as your pastor. You can’t do anything for 35 years and not have some difficult moments, and we have. But for me, they are completely overshadowed by the joy and privilege of being part of a body that, I believe, God has used in significant ways to […]
Unspeakable horror
We are still watching the story unfold, but as I write this, we are receiving reports of a shooting in a Texas elementary school that has taken the lives of 18 children and at least two adults, including one teacher and the 18-year-old assailant. This is just the most recent of such barbaric acts. Ten […]
Reclaiming our slag
Cyndi and I just returned from a surprise family reunion birthday party for her mom, Peggy. (My bonus was that I got to spend three uninterrupted days with my granddaughter, Cici. She is quite the dancer! Maybe I’ll share that with you someday! ????) En route, Cyndi and I stopped in Anaconda, Montana. Anaconda was […]
How can I serve?
This is one of my favorite frequently-asked questions at the wood wall each week. I love that people at Chapel Hill want to connect to service. Serving our community and the church is part of who we are. It’s in our mission statement: exalt Jesus, elevate others, launch disciple-makers. It’s in our discipleship process: worship, […]
When believers are filled with the Spirit
Have you ever longed for greater unity in the body of Christ? This week it was so encouraging to join with our Chapel Hill Alpha team and a larger group of 140,000 believers from all over the world for a livestream of the Alpha Leadership Conference. Coming from all different backgrounds, denominations and parts of […]
Can I get re-baptized?
What was the date you were baptized? My date was March 19, 1989. I had several photos but I didn’t have the date. It didn’t take place in my home town, as the local priest would only perform the ceremony if the family attended the church. So, we went to my grandfather’s church, St. Augustine’s […]