Beth asked me if I would like to preach this Sunday, as 2023 marks my twentieth year at Westminster as your associate pastor. Since I have about ten minutes allotted to preach, and twenty years to cover, that gives me about 30 seconds per year. When I first came to Westminster, my sons were ages … read
Merry Christmas! Today, we celebrate Emmanuel: God with us. Medieval mystic Meister Eckhart wrote that “We are all meant to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born.” Maybe that is the best explanation of why we celebrate, every year, the birth of Jesus, God with us (again!). God is always … read
During this Advent, who or what needs a “yes” from you? How might your “yes” change things beyond you? Sometimes you hear the same story again and again, but then one day, it strikes you in a different way. That’s what happened to me as I read the scripture for today. Though I’ve always before … read
Last week in his sermon, Gregg mentioned the story of Corrie Ten Boom, in a Nazi concentration camp, thankful for fleas, because the fleas discouraged the Nazi guards from entering her building. And this afternoon is our “Blessing of the Animals” service at 2 p.m. So I am taking the opportunity now to again encourage … read
This week’s scripture reading reminds me of a story that preacher Debie Thomas told about her father’s early childhood in rural India. Her grandparents were devoted members of their church, and it was often the case that elders and preachers spontaneously showed up at their home for lunch after Sunday services. Food was scarce in … read
It was about this time of year, in July, twenty years ago, when I drove with my mom and my first born, Alex (who was about four), to visit Grandma Jean and Grandpa Archie at their farm in West Texas. The weather was hot, hot, hot! The land was parched. We walked out to one … read