Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Senior Minister Blog”
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
When I teach Old Testament I often say you really need to know these two words: exile and exodus. People can picture exodus, that moment when the Red Sea was parted by Moses and the people of God exited slavery in Egypt and trounced through the desert seeking a new …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog, Uncategorized
As your pastor I want to be strong. But I would be lying if I told you have not had some sleepless nights and some melt-down moments. At times my heart feels full and I know for certain that we will emerge stronger at the end of this. But at …
Lara Schopp Adult-ministry, Articles, Carla Aday, Children & Families, Church Life, Congregational Care, Connect, Senior Minister Blog, Serve
Fifty women with white hair slip demurely into the carved wooden choir stalls, bow their heads to pray and then sweetly sing “O God break the teeth in their mouths.” I was shocked. Is this phrase really in the Bible? A few minutes later we sing, “Let those who seek …
Lara Schopp Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
A virus. A tornado. A rapidly shifting political scene. And that was just by Wednesday! How do you and I as people of faith, respond to the volatility? First, the virus. Jesus focused much of his energy on healing the sick. Without antibiotics or IV’s, Jesus had compassion on those …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
“I have no problem giving up alcohol for the 40 days of Lent” my friend told me. “But if I try to say no to a glass of wine other times of the year, it seems impossible. I don’t know why that is.” This conversation with my friend got me …
Lara Schopp Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
‘I wish you were either hot or cold, but you are lukewarm,’ says Jesus to the church in the book of Revelation. Guilty as charged. There are too many days that my faith feels lackluster. Sometimes my prayer life feels like going through the motions but I wish my prayers …
Lara Schopp Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
The world no longer trusts Christians who ʻlove Jesus but do not seem to love anything else,” writes Richard Rohr, in his latest book, The Universal Christ. Valentine’s Day is a good day to reflect on what we love, who we love, how we love. My earliest memory of Valentine’s …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
She was on the drill team and worked in the library to pay her tuition. He was on a football scholarship. These small town/farm kids met at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas in 1955, fell in love and got married two years later. From their love, came my sister …
Lara Schopp Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
I was one of 40,000 students at University of Texas so it was a shock during my first semester at graduate school at Yale to receive an invitation to join a small group of students for dinner at the home of a professor. Dean Harry B. Adams was a Disciples of …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
One of the best things about marriage is that you may inherit a fabulous second family. When I first met my husband’s entire family 30 years ago, I met all the nieces and nephews, including Jered, the oldest. He was a sweet and good kid but not a very motivated …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
A hundred years ago, some folks decided to build a church. Several lots were considered and finally 61st and Ward was chosen. The cost of the first building was estimated at $50,000. But when the bids came back, it was actually going to cost $60,000. They met to decide what …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
O Little Town of Bethlehem, What Child is This, Angels we Have Heard on High, and Silent Night all vie for first place. What is your favorite carol? None makes my heart soar more than Joy to the World, especially when the trumpets and organ lets loose on Christmas Eve …
Lara Schopp Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
During December some of us struggle to balance the extra demands on our time with a longing to remain spiritually centered. How do we embrace the busyness, fun, and festivities that honor the arrival of the sacred while also carving out a still small moment to reflect and ponder the …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
“Is this an uncomfortable place for you to be?” a sister asked her brother. It seemed like a strange question to ask given the setting. The wedding guests were joyously dancing on the dance floor. The cousins had just sung a duet, an old spiritual. The children were savoring a …
Lara Schopp Articles, Carla Aday, Senior Minister Blog
When the church staff convenes each Tuesday we engage in a discussion about a topic prompted by an article we’ve all read in advance. Because we bring a variety of gifts ministry, the topics are wide ranging: from music to technology, from theology to business management. We muse about how …
