Greetings friends! The blog took a bit of a break during November, but we’re back to celebrate this season of waiting and anticipation together in Advent. Thanks for tuning in! I mentioned in my Spire article this month that in that barn in Bethlehem so many years ago, Jesus Christ showed up as God’s way of being like us. I thought that was something that deserved a little bit of unpacking. And for…
Greetings friends! So once again, these Tuesday posts flow out of what I wrote in the Spire this month, so I would highly recommend you check that out before you tune in here. I noted a little verse for us to pay particularly close attention to: “One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4) My question today is this: How do we know what to dec…
I don't know why, but the grocery store can often bring out the absolute worst in me. I've narrowed it down to a couple of things that could be wrong: 1) I am an introvert, and there is simply no time of day that the grocery store is not crowded. Loving people have suggested different times to try to swing by when it will be "less busy," but it's always busy. I always have to be around…
“Why do you Presbyterians pray with your eyes open?” I had never heard a question like that before, but my friend meant it honestly and curiously. He had noticed as he had been hanging out in our little church in my hometown that everyone seemed to offer their prayers with their eyes open, rather than closing them and folding their hands like he was used to. It was a little bit of a mystery to me,…
A few days ago I was having a conversation with someone who had just recently discovered that I was a youth pastor. I love that moment, when people look at my bearded self and try to reconcile all their pictures of what a pastor is with what’s standing before them. It can illicit all kinds of responses. Sometimes people will try to convince me that they go to church, which is an interesting first r…
