Though today is a day churning with a myriad of emotions, it is also a day that we recognize a beloved child of God and the ways she touched our lives. This is really what embracing each moment is all about, the realization that nothing is completely one thing or another – either all bad or all good. Life, the true gift of life, resonates in the tension of both/and.
Reading: 1 John 3:16-24 “What is truth?” is an innately human question. Do the birds twitter about it flying from tree to tree? Or, do the sea otters muse over it while cracking open mussels and floating under a wide open sky? I have a hard time believing my dog spends much time pondering it. I imagine that if she were to ask this question, her answer would be as quick to come as the question - Truth is…
When do we forgive? How do we forgive? How many times do we forgive?This is a children's message on forgiveness, even when you don't feel like it. Scripture reference: Matthew 18:21-35https://youtu.be/dKhHIcwQtu0
How to handle conflict is something that is sometimes easier said than done, but we need to try - even with our siblings or the people that make it hard for us! Scripture reference: Matthew 18:15-20 https://youtu.be/U-HkGOMKjPs
Lent is an especially holy time of the year for me because it is in these six weeks that I find myself drawing closer and closer to Jesus. We know what’s coming. The cross looms ahead. Rather than shake my head in despair, I draw closer to Jesus. It is precisely this time of year that I realize I need something more. My will power is not enough. New year’s resolutions have come and gone. The hum of…
Sermon on John 13:31-35 You can listen to it HERE. One of my favorite authors is Neil Gaiman. He is world-renowned, heavily awarded, and very invested in his fans. He regularly communicates with them through interviews, websites, blogs, Q&As, etc. In one of these “Ask Neil” moments, he shares a story about a time he was lucky enough to be invited to "a gathering of great and good people: artists and scientists, writers and discoverers of things." As…
A writing for Modern Metanoia, ADVENT 1, LUKE 21:25-36If you have eyes, ears, and/or any kind of awareness of your surroundings, you might be like me right now. Angry. Heartbroken. On the verge of hopelessness. What the heck is wrong with our country – the (not so) United States of America? What the heck is wrong with our world? How have we grown so far from simple acts of stewardship and care for our earth and neighbor? Why…
A sermon for Sermons That Work Trinity Sunday, John 3:1-17. Every extraordinary experience sparks from the ordinary. Take a moment and reflect on the moments that have made you who you are today. Some of them may be spectacular, earth shattering, heart breaking, and more. But when we really take the time to reflect on what made us who we are right now, today, this moment, we will come up with the names of people who have filled our…
An essay for Modern Metanoia on Trinity Sunday, John 3:1-17. Every extraordinary experience sparks from the ordinary. Full of curiosity, Nicodemus proactively seeks Jesus out at night. Jesus transforms what was an inconspicuous evening into a remarkable, life-changing event. What I love about the Gospel of John is the way we, readers thousands of years later, are turned into witnesses. We become witnesses to not just fact-based, hard-nosed, “real news,” but to God’s reality on earth. We become witnesses,…