You may not believe it but someday, this COVID stuff will be behind us! It will become part of our lore and, predictably, we will bore our grandchildren to death with stories of how we lived through the Great Quarantine. There is a lot about COVID that is, obviously, very irritating. I’ll confess, I had […]
Passover plague
Hello, my Sweetheart Church! After a brief road trip through Idaho (Twin Falls is beautiful!), Utah, and Montana, Cyndi and I returned to spend a Staycation in beautiful Gig Harbor. Lots of golf, biking, walking, gardening…and Portuguese lessons. It’s been great! Being home also allowed us a chance to join in our return to in-person […]
My top 5 dad excuses
This season has certainly been quite the season to be parenting kids at home! I’ve enjoyed all the opportunities to spend more time with my kids, but it has also been quite testing at times, especially when it comes to homeschooling my kids. I remember one point when I was trying to do a school […]
Updated plan to re-open Chapel Hill
Several weeks ago, we shared a four-step plan to gradually re-open Chapel Hill’s campus. Due to some state mandates that have changed somewhat, we have revised the plan and present it here for reference. GO HERE to see a larger version. We are currently in STEP 2. […]
Sleep on This: Shaking in front of the microwave
Good evening, friend! Most mornings I start my day scrambling two eggs in the microwave. It only takes 55 seconds and produces a surprisingly yummy…and quick…protein shot. But if you decide to try it, be forewarned: it must be carefully monitored lest you blow the whole thing all over the inside of the machine. Trust […]
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Rachel breaks up a fight
Last week, my daughter Rachel was driving through her tiny town of Black Mountain, North Carolina, when she saw two men fighting. One black, one white, with the white man’s girlfriend shooting video and the black man’s male friend just standing there, watching. There were two other onlookers as well. Rachel stopped, rolled down her […]
Four steps to re-open Chapel Hill
Since COVID-19 made it impossible for all of us to meet together for worship, you have taken the words “beyond these walls” literally and embraced this moment by worshipping in your homes, gathering in LifeGroups over Zoom, praying for one another virtually, and even changing the way you give money to Chapel Hill so that […]
A weird and wonderful Mother’s Day
I enjoy Mother’s Day at Chapel Hill. So do you, apparently, because it is always one of our better-attended services. Moms and grandmoms show up, beautifully arrayed. If ever hats will make an appearance in a Chapel Hill service, this is the day. So grand! And of course, if EVER there is a day when […]
The return of classic worship…online!
One of the things I try to teach my young colleagues is the importance of being nimble in ministry. When cultural shifts occur, too often the church is scrambling to keep up, much less get ahead of those changes. The gospel message is timeless but you MUST remain light on your feet in order to […]
A safer way to the empty tomb
I have led 10 groups to the Holy Land. Every journey ends the same way: a visit to the Garden Tomb where we celebrate the day that changed forever: the resurrection of Jesus. This is always a meaningful way to close out our pilgrimage. But 2015 stands out, by far, as my most memorable visit […]