Behind the font of blessings

Music is certainly an important part of our worship experience and also in our faith development. Often there are hymns that I have heard/sung a 100 times, but never really paid attention to the lyrics or the story behind them. Recently I have been listening to and...

Getting to the roots

A week ago, I participated in a training with the Racial Equity Institute which is located here in Greensboro. Their approach is unlike any I have experienced before. It helped me begin to think more deeply about how we can affect lasting change in people’s lives. On...

Forming the Question

At our women’s retreat I was asked to lead a workshop on spiritual discernment. As it turns out, I needed the workshop perhaps more than any of the participants. (I should not be surprised that the Holy Spirit speaks through Donna Chase’s requests!) Spiritual...

“Is this the time of the year that I am born again?”

In the third chapter of the Gospel of John, we read the following, Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs...

New Year – Day 16

So, how is 2023 going for you? Did you make resolutions or set goals for the new year? How successful have you been so far? 92% of people who set New Year’s goals never actually achieve them. I know because I have been in that 92% more than once! This year my family...

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! The turning of the calendar is a somewhat random marking of time, but it is, nonetheless, an occasion to reflect backwards and be intentional about moving forward. I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions, but I do like to pause and think about what...

A deeper sense of hope

A family friend texted my mom recently saying she is praying for my husband and me as we prepare for the upcoming birth of our child, praying for the joy of new birth and for the bits of uncertainty that currently exist in the world. She wrote that she couldn’t help...

No Regrets

It was a full flight. We’d received the instructions to put personal items beneath the seat, keep our coats with us (we were headed from Toronto to Halifax, coats weren’t optional), and volunteer to check our carry on if we were boarding in a higher numbered zone. I’d...

Undecorated, still beloved

Last week, I went to a Christmas party at a friend’s house. It is an annual event with a big group of girlfriends who have journeyed through life together for many years now. We greeted each other with hugs. We had some drinks and yummy food. At some point, our friend...

Stop and Listen

  During the season of Advent, we are offering an opportunity for evening worship on Thursday evening. We gather with our Hot Dish & Hope guests and sit at the table and share a meal, and the pastors offer a scripture reading and devotional, and we sing hymns...