7/8/2024

Pastors, have you ever gone back and looked or listened to one of your old sermons? With the internet, thoughts that may have come out of a 4 a.m. sprint 10 years ago are forever preserved for anyone to hear. Go further back in your filing cabinet, and you may be able to pull up sermons from your first congregations, or even during seminary.

What is that experience like? Does your face grimace at insights you thought were so profound but were actually short sighted? Does your heart sink looking at theological principles you have long abandoned? Did you say things out of reaction to particular dramas in your congregation that you wish you could take back now?

5/31/2024

Between sermons, counseling sessions, committee meetings, and the ever-present needs of your congregation, finding a moment to breathe can feel like a luxury. Yet, amidst the whirlwind, haven’t we all felt that yearning for a deeper connection with God? That which called us to this work in the first place? What which we wanted our lives to be about?

5/2/2024

This is one of my favorite seasons of the year. My walks through the woods near our home have been transformed. No longer are they marked by chilly temps and quiet watching. Now all is pregnant with promise. The waiting is over.

This season the birdsong is lively and playful. The creek waters rush and tumble with joy. The trees are budding, beginning to bloom.

In John’s gospel, the Pharisees are on the verge of arresting Jesus. They grumble at his teaching and complain about his popularity. It is a tough moment. In the face of all this, Jesus lifts his vision and speaks from a heart of faith.

4/4/2024

I did not start the year the way I wanted. I started feeling really tired. I had no energy and I thought everything was related to all the hard work I put in during the advent season, until I discovered I had COVID. Nobody wants to start the year like that. Adding to that was all of the anxiety of managing two kids at home and doing all the work that needs to be completed.

2/29/2024

As I write and from where I am in western Pennsylvania, the thaw from the big chill is happening. Feels like temperatures in negative numbers are no longer. My son at the University of Miami and everyone in that area seemed to be the only ones who didn’t have to endure the cold. It wasn’t even cold enough there that he had to worry about falling iguanas.

1/30/2024

As pastors it is very easy to fall into a pattern of belief that we must always be available. That we must be ready to address every need and situation brought to our attention. So, we keep our cell phones on 24/7. We constantly check our email. And we feel that we must provide a good reason for taking vacation, tending to our family, or just simply saying no, especially when doing so means someone we serve has to go without.

1/4/2024

No doubt, you’ve heard the slogan, “Let go and Let God.” It may seem extremely trite, especially if you’re in the middle of a life situation which calls for such an attitude and action. Those words, however simplistic as they may seem, may offer a profound lesson, and can lead to an experience of deep inner peace. I can relate. Let me explain.

11/29/2023

Aunt Bonnie would wring her hands and fuss over the little things like iced tea, wool caps, and driving directions, but a prolonged, anxious farewell was her way of showing she cared. It was her way of saying, “I love you.”

11/2/2023

Life within the church is amazing. It often feels like a constant juggling act, or maybe a balancing act, of so many things. For example, currently I am working on items for worship in the coming week, meeting with people over their current concerns, and responding to the never-ending flurry of emails. I am also thinking about the upcoming stewardship campaign, and the work of nominating new officers for the coming years, and then there is Advent and Christmas too. This is the work of the rhythm of the year, one that is not unfamiliar to many. Maybe “tension” is a good word for it, as we try to hold all of this together.

9/29/2023

Whenever I start youth group with a “spiritual grounding,” I often get a chuckle out of middle schoolers in particular, one of whom may take the opportunity to respond, “Why are you grounding us? We didn’t do anything wrong!”

8/29/2023

At this point in the fall when you are skimming this devotional I imagine the program year is well underway. Kickoff, rally day or homecoming day, a distant memory buried under the weekly calendar of events that lists all the activities of the church ranging from AA meetings to committee meetings, choir rehearsals to staff check-ins, youth fellowship and fellowship hour. Of course, we can’t forget worship on Sunday mornings.

8/4/2023

My curiosity is piqued while looking at the lectionary readings for August. We begin with a reading in Genesis where Jacob has seemingly wrestled with God—and with humans—and has prevailed.