Turning the soil, in trust

The azaleas are in bright bloom, trees have gone from bare limbs a few weeks ago to having beautiful flowers and now full leaves, and, as our neighbor keeps us informed, the Purple Martin count is rising – now with ten in their bird houses. And, the summer garden prep...

Ministry work never ‘ends’

Kevin concluded his ministry with us in April to concentrate on his MBA studies at Wake Forest.    My first church ministry boss, Adam, former Youth Director at Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston Salem, told me that in church ministry you need to know two...

What happens after Easter? 

Today is Easter Monday.  Traditionally a day of celebration (and rest for pastors and church staff everywhere) that began in the 15th Century. Different Christian religious traditions celebrate this day in a variety of ways. In the 19th Century the Easter Parade...

Don’t judge me!

“Good Friday and Easter — the days of God’s overpowering acts in history, acts in which God’s judgement and grace were revealed to all the world — are just around the corner. Judgment in those hours in which Jesus Christ, our Lord, hung on the cross; grace in that...

Feeling the cross, embracing the resurrection

Our Lenten journey transitions into Holy Week as we walk with Jesus in Jerusalem. Jesus will enlist his disciples to usher in this new era of grace and mercy. He will ask them to get the donkey, arrange for the room, eat with him, allow him to wash their feet,...

How kids develop ‘sticky faith’

At the beginning of Lent, I shared this graphic with a small group of young parents during a Sunday school class. This chart was based on some very simple math assuming a 7-year-old child attending public school and getting the 10 hours of sleep per night recommended...

Giving thanks for God’s movement

Yesterday we had the gift of receiving our confirmands into this congregation’s membership.  As we begin this week, I invite us to take a moment, pausing to reflect and give thanks. We give thanks to God for the Spirit’s movement in our youth, for their desire to...

Updates on Afghan refugees

The Wednesday Men’s Bible Study group, along with other members, are sponsoring four men who had helped the U.S. military in Afghanistan. (A fifth has moved to San One recently passed his written driver’s license test! A major need is for an old car. Currently a van...

Thoughts ahead of Confirmation Sunday

Every year when I get the joy and privilege of teaching both our 8th-grade students and their parents during the Confirmation experience, I am reminded of my own Confirmation journey. My memories range from the group meetings in our small church library gathered...

Silence, to calm & quiet the soul

There is the wonderful but challenging spiritual practice of silence.  The older I get the more I appreciate silence.  Especially in a world of constant human noise, from music to our devices binging with a new message, TV, cars, etc. Know what I mean? To find the...