What's Up

This past week I got to go to an amazing denominational meeting where the goals for my denomination for the next four years were discussed. There were four main areas of focus for this event which were reflected thematically in our worship and our business: 1. Leadership Development, 2. Congregational Development, 3. Eradicating Poverty, and 4. Combating Diseases such as Malaria and AIDS. All of these goals are huge and something that virtually anybody would want to be a part of. Worship during… Continue

I love church. Perhaps, to be more specific, I love worship. Worship is a place where our collective lives and stories intersect with the life and story of God. Week in and week out we gather as a community to celebrate the awesomeness of this mystery that God has chosen to not only be near us, but to be with us. We come to worship expecting to celebrate, to extol God's love and grace, and to lift high the name of Christ through Word, song, sacrament, and thanksgiving.


For the better part… Continue

All of us gather in one place or another for worship during the week, and we meet in places as diverse as cathedrals, mega-church worship centers, traditional churches, houses, and store fronts in strip malls, but what sets apart the space where we worship from the rest of the world? Does our worship space help convey to those worshipping with us that this place is different, that here we are community, here we are family, here we are all beloved children of God. Or does the fellowship hall wher… Continue

So Christmas is almost here, and for many churches this represents the culmination of a season. In fact, in many churches everything that's gone on since before Thanksgiving has been building toward what's going to happen on December 24. All of our time, all of our energy, all of our sleepless nights, and extended planning come to fruition on Christmas Eve.

Something bothers me about that...

We expend hundreds of planning, constructing, rehearsing, and just flat out working for what?...Silent… Continue

So I'm sitting at my desk right now (that's not something that happens very often during this season of the year) and as I'm writing this I am not only thinking about how hectic and stressful this time of year is...I am also feeling the effect of not enough sleep, combined with a packed schedule, and another invitation to another Christmas party.


Now don't get me wrong, I love Advent, and I love Christmas, but at times I just want this roller-coaster of a season to end. And from what I gat… Continue