We are in all kinds of communities, and we should be grateful for each of them. There are of course the neighborhood we live in, the one we work in, our city or town. Our churches are communities of faith but also communities of friendship.
You (Plural) Are Not Lacking
September 15, 2021 by
“You Are Not Lacking.” That was the title of the sermon I planned to preach on Sunday, January 19. But before I got to it, on Friday, January 17, the daughter-in-law of some beloved church members went on a walk near the church in the afternoon and never came home. Her name is Leanne Hecht Bearden.
Connections 05.03.2020: Community from a Distance
April 26, 2020 by
We’ve been doing something counter-intuitive during these days of the COVID-19 pandemic: building community by staying apart. In our current situation, we love our neighbors by staying away from them.
Connections 09.30.2018: A Community of Prayer
September 23, 2018 by
For a long time, I thought and taught that prayer is an important part of the Christian life. Somewhere along the way, I decided that in fact the Christian life is a life of prayer. How did I arrive at that conclusion? Like many realizations, it came over time.
David, a Warrior after God’s Own Heart: Community
June 12, 2018 by
We see many of the needs of our returning service members and their families by also looking at Psalm 69 and the life of David, a warrior himself. This week, for our final devotion in this series, I want to focus on verses 12-13.
Formations 04.08.2018: Building Community by Giving Gifts
April 1, 2018 by
The Buy Nothing Project is a Facebook-based organization that promotes local gift economies. In a gift economy, no money is exchanged, but people offer goods and services with the expectation that others in the community will do the same.
Connections 02.04.18: A Community of Service and Sacrifice
January 28, 2018 by
I spent twenty-two of the thirty-one years of my career serving as a pastor. I did so for seven years, then took a six-year break to teach in a college, and then returned to the pastorate for another fifteen years. For the last three years I’ve served as the Connections editor.
She has Blue Hair. She is Not Your Grandma.
August 17, 2016 by
Getting to the auditorium late was bad enough. Then I had to find a seat. After several “oh, it’s saved” interactions I finally found seating next to a 14-year-old girl with electric blue hair.
Connections 08.21.2016: Places in our Hearts
August 14, 2016 by
Robert Benton’s 1984 film Places in the Heart takes place in 1935 Waxahachie, Texas. Royce and Edna Spalding own a cotton farm. Royce is also the local sheriff.
Formations 10.25.2015: Wholeness
October 18, 2015 by
Somewhere along the way in my days as a pastor, I began to carry a small vial of anointing oil in my pocket. I never made a big deal out of it. Honestly, I carried that oil at least as much for my benefit as for my parishioners.
About Those Sins
February 25, 2015 by
At the end of his song “These Days” the prophet Jackson Browne sings, “Don’t confront me with my failures; I had not forgotten them.” Preach it, Brother Jackson! I haven’t forgotten mine, either.
Circle of Faith
August 26, 2014 by
A few months ago, we met a woman in her fifties from a neighboring prefecture who had come to visit Kanazawa Baptist Church, where we worship and work. We learned from our pastor that this woman’s father was a longtime church member, but had been in and out of the hospital and was nearing death.
A Prayer for Ferguson
August 20, 2014 by
O God, We don’t have to tell you that the city of Ferguson, Missouri is coming apart at the seams. Please give the people there peace with justice and justice with peace.
People Go Where They Know
July 14, 2014 by
As a teacher (regardless of the age group we teach), one task is to communicate to those who come each week that we are prepared for them.
Uniform 07.06.2014: A Choice that Blesses Others
June 29, 2014 by
It’s tough to find a balance between honoring our free will to make choices for ourselves and taking responsibility for how each choice might affect another person. Especially in the United States, we take pride in independence and self-sufficiency.
The Welcome Wagon
June 18, 2014 by
When my wife’s boss first moved to our small town it was more than a little culture shock. Raised on the slick windy streets of Chicago, he had mastered the ways of the urban jungle, but this experience had done little to prepare him for the Deep South.
Mending the Saints: Teaching That Helps Us Heal
April 24, 2014 by
If you polled your congregation about why Sunday school matters, would they agree that it does? Would specifics about class content rank high on their response list?
“I love studying those dietary laws in Leviticus.”
“Learning that the Corinthians had more problems than we do actually helped us.”