One Sunday morning as I made my way to church, I sort of reveled in how relaxed I felt—unlike most Sundays as I headed out to beautiful rural Estacada to preach. As I sank into that unaccustomed sense of calm, I noticed I was still wearing my slippers. Who knew that what one wears has … read
A fourth grader in our neighborhood, Elsa, has created her own small business making and distributing fabric face masks. It’s called “Fancy Faces.” She learned how to sew in March, watching her mother make face masks. Elsa and her younger sister deliver orders to Alameda neighbors. Creative, innovative, thoughtful—right? Now, for some undefined period, all … read
The identity of the writer of Colossians is a problem. Some scholars take the writer at his word, and say that the author is none other than the great apostle Paul. Other scholars look at the way this letter is written, some nuances of the text, and say that the letter is actually written by … read
The first time I remember reading today’s Colossians passage was on September 11, 2001. It was my quiet time, and I had just read and was puzzling over “in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body.” My husband interrupted my quiet time to tell me … read
Throughout his letters, the apostle Paul talks about the followers of Jesus taking on the image or the likeness of Christ, and by that he did not mean the physical features of Jesus, but the heart and soul of Jesus. That’s an idea we share a lot in the church, becoming more and more like … read