In a book entitled, After Baptism: Shaping the Christian Life, author John P. Burgess walks through our identity after baptism, being marked with the sign of God, name and claimed for all time. In the second chapter he wrestles with this question: “But isn’t love...
Each Wednesday morning at preschool chapel, Ms. Lisa leads the children in a call to worship. Using hand gestures and words the children say: “With eyes to see and ears to hear, with mouths to sing and hearts to love, let us worship God together.” As we participate...
Everyone has a story. Some years back, perhaps the late 1990’s or early 2000’s, we had a church member offer their story from the pulpit. It was May, Mental Health Awareness month. This member shared their journey with depression. You could have heard a pin...
Talking with one of you a few weeks ago, we stood in the pews and looked up – up at the glorious rose window and the chancel and all that it holds. You, in your wisdom, said, “do you ever stop and look in awe.” You explained. There is awe, both in the beauty of the...
One of the things that fascinates me about Genesis 1 is that after each day of creation, God declares what has been made good. This act of creation is the overflowing of God’s creativity and love into a universe full of majesty and wonder. Creation, God declares, is...
In Joshua 24:13, God declares to the Israelites: “You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.” The Israelites had moved into the Promised Land and were embarking on a new phase of their journey as the people of God when God reminds them...
There were A LOT of children in worship that day. Some of them were singing with the children’s choir. Some of them were leading prayers. Some of them were processing in the light, the bible, the cup, and the bread. Some of them were munching doughnuts with...
I recently discovered that my name tag says Associate Pastor for Pastor Care. Apparently “al” would not fit. As many of you are aware, we have had a fair number of funerals over the past few weeks. Each one matters, each family and everyone who walks...
After attending the Greensboro MLK breakfast two weeks ago, I got on a plane to Atlanta to attend the first-ever Matthew 25 Summit. The Summit was a gathering of pastors and church members seeking to learn more about how to put into practice the teachings of Jesus to...
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Capital campaign and Lent and 200th plans, oh my! Shetler discernment and worship and women’s retreat, oh my! Hunger ministries and Christian formation and preschool, oh my! Maybe it is just me, but sometimes when there are a lot...
