I sometimes struggle when I write this column because I want it to be inspiring but I’m tempted to make it informational. I don’t want to bog us down in the weeds of church business and yet the church is the body of Christ and though it belongs to God …
Christian Connection
Christians come in all flavors: Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, and most recently in large groups defined as unaffiliated or spiritual but not religious. Our congregation is part of a group founded on American soil during the western frontier expansion of the 1800’s. We are called “The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)”. …
Magic in the Moments
In a magical setting on a snowy mountain in single-digit temperatures, we said “I do” 30 years ago. The first three years were fun but bumpy as I needed time to learn the trust that builds a mutual relationship with a life partner, and I was still seeking my sea …
Who is holding who?
When my granddaughter Ava was learning to talk, she would toddle over to me and hold out her arms and say “Hold You Me.” “What?” I thought. And then it hit me. I needed to fill in her still-evolving grammar. “Will you hold me?” Then I reached out my arms …
REPOSE
The pine needles have been swept up and the snow globe boxed up until next December. Now we return to some sort of routine and for many of us, fewer tugs on our time to make the holidays happen. In this first week of 2023 I’ve been sorting through what goals to adopt and what seems like too much to promise.
Longing and Remembering
The wrapping is complete, Santa’s sleigh is loaded (only some assembly required and don’t forget batteries). The day is almost here. What is it that we long for on this holy day called Christmas? I suspect that our deepest longing is what I John 4 describes as the whole purpose …
That Christmas Feeling
“Do you get tired of Christmas?”my friend asked me. It was a fair question. When you work at a church, every day of December is focused on Christmas and the planning begins many months prior to December. Over the years I’ve reduced the personal traditions – baking, gift giving, decorating, and musical …
Always still hope.
Every family has its Christmas traditions. One of ours is that something always goes wrong when we go to put the white lights on the tree. I try to remain calm but typically end up snapping. This year I took all the lights off the tree and started over with …
The Next 100 Construction Update
Friends, This week we have some exciting news to share about the future of our church! Click on the video below for a long-awaited update! Grace and Peace, Carla
The Art of Waiting
We began waiting for his arrival on Sunday. Our son had been in Japan for a month and was flying home for Thanksgiving. “He’s in the air now” we said to each other as we knew Tokyo’s time zone was a day ahead of us. Then the flight was late and …
The Gift of True Thanksgiving
Last Saturday I went on the coldest train ride of my life. Our grandson Jacob, who has autism and is non-verbal, adores trains. So to celebrate his 8th birthday, his mom and dad organized a train ride. We never imagined that there would be no heat or that it would be 22 degrees. But …
Already there, but not yet.
Christians sometimes talk about the “already and the not yet.” Meaning we have already experienced the fullness of God’s love but we do not yet live fully in God’s holy presence. On Friday, Nov 11, I’ll offer the prayers at the base of the Liberty Memorial as we honor the …
Shaping Our Spirituality
Dana, Paula, Stephanie, Randall, Chandler, Dan along with their families sat on rows six and seven last Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. As I stepped into the pulpit of the church that gave me spiritual birth I looked out at the faces of those who had been in the youth …
Living in the Light
People often ask me “What does your church believe about. . . “. You fill in the blank. It might be a topic in the news such as a woman’s right to choose or it might be a spiritual question like heaven/hell. These are hard questions to answer. First of …