I had heard about “pop up” restaurants and “pop up” retail shops but until last Sunday I had never heard a “Pick up” choir. One of our elders invited Dr. Paul Tucker to designate a Sunday where anyone who wanted to could sing in the choir on one Sunday. All you had to do was show up at 10:00 a.m. that day to rehearse the anthem for the 11:00 a.m. service.

Some families celebrate Christmas with the precision of a Bach cantata and some with the creative improvisation of a jazz medley. Both can be beautiful. But while we are in the middle of it, sorting out which traditions are essential and which are flexible can be tricky. The goal of …

We had finished our bedtime stories and I was ready to tuck them in to bed. “I’m not saying it, I always say it.” My granddaughters (ages 5 and 8) began bickering about who would say the night night prayers. It was a standoff and my husband had to intervene to get us past the impasse.

“The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:2b This quote hangs in large wooden letters on the wall of the Bash Chapel at Tall Oaks, our denomination’s conference center near Bonner Springs, KS. A few weeks ago, our staff gathered in the Bash chapel …

I am about 100 yards away from the beach. But I can’t quite get there. A few more things to read, memos to send, projects to complete. I look forward to the feel of the sand in my toes and the sound of the ocean rhythm. But I resist letting go of my important tasks a little longer.

“For a spiritual life is simply a life in which all that we do comes from the centre, where we are anchored in God. . . .” This line jumped off the page for me during my morning reflection time earlier this week.

One of best parts of serving among you for 30 years is story. I have had the privilege of learning your stories and sometimes I have even been a part of the story: officiating at your wedding, blessing your baby, weeping with you at a graveside. But in this first …

Last week I gathered with family for a reunion, with colleagues for a conference, with neighbors for a homes association dinner, with church leaders at a Board planning retreat, and with friends at a small dinner party.  At each gathering, I felt a mixture of belonging and discomfort.  When shall …

When she repeated the story, she would pause, turn her head and look out for a moment. I could tell that she was picturing his face and recalling his determination. “The pastor told Dad they didn’t have enough money to build the youth center, and Dad gave the money to make it happen.” Charlotte loved to tell the story. And then Dad’s story became her story.

Every fall I gather with a dozen or so Disciples of Christ pastors from across the country for a retreat/conference in Chicago. We banter about theological topics presented in formal papers and books, ponder ways to empower the churches we serve, share our own faith doubts and dreams. Most years …