If the question of Palm Sunday—“Who is this?”—is a good one, the question of Easter may be a better one.
How Will They Remember You When You’re Gone?
November 2, 2022 by
This past week, I conducted a celebration of life service at a beloved church I serve. The packed sanctuary was a reminder to all who were present of this church member’s caring spirit.
Crossroads: The Lord Watches Over You
October 24, 2022 by
It’s almost Halloween, and this time of year tends to be a bit scarier than normal. People decorate their houses to look scarier, scary movies come on TV, and some people wear scary costumes on Halloween.
Formations 09.11.2022: Thank You
September 4, 2022 by
Some people are good at taking a compliment. They are gracious and genuinely appreciative without a hint of arrogance.
Crossroads: Blessed Are You
February 14, 2022 by
We all have times in our lives in things are just tough. Your parents seem to fight a lot. You’re having a hard time in school. There’s a bully who keeps picking on you.
Formations 11.07.2021: God Will Take Care of You
October 31, 2021 by
I remember an old hymn that people rarely sing in church anymore, at least in the churches where I have worshiped. The first verse begins, “Be not dismayed whate’er betide; God will take care of you.”
Before I die . . .
June 15, 2021 by
When the waitress brought our food, I tried to find a way to ask, “How am I supposed to eat this?” I had to think fast.
Praying About the Things You Don’t Want to Talk About
May 5, 2021 by
Prayer should never be an awkward conversation. No topic off limits. No taboos and no time limits. It shouldn’t require that I quote scripture to be heard or acknowledged.
Good Talking to You
March 3, 2021 by
My prayer life has had its ups and downs, its verbal love feasts, its spats and silent treatments. But this is the nature of prayer, a catch-all for everything said and unsaid.
Formations 12.06.2020: You Better Watch Out
November 29, 2020 by
If your church follows the Revised Common Lectionary, John the Baptist always shows up around this time of year to rain on our Christmas parade. Seriously, who invited this guy to the party?
Formations 11.01.2020: “There I Will Meet with You”
October 25, 2020 by
My husband John, a mechanical engineer, has taught himself the hobby of woodworking. His natural understanding of dimensions, measurements, and loadbearing lend well to creating shelves and tables and even cornhole boards.
Formations 08.02.2020: Taking Words with You
July 26, 2020 by
There have been times when I have done something wrong, realized my fault immediately, and blurted out an apology, a sincere but entirely unrehearsed expression of regret. When you let your anger or sadness control your tongue, that kind of apology is definitely the way to go.
What Makes You Cry
July 15, 2020 by
It was summertime, sometime in the late 1960s. I was, as many children did (and I hope still do), participating in the public library’s summer reading program. I was reading Fred Gipson’s 1942 novel Old Yeller.
Formations 02.17.2019: You Shall Be Holy
February 10, 2019 by
This week’s text raises our attention to holiness. In the process, I’ve noticed two questions I’ve been struggling with lately—who are we, and what does it mean? As Moses relays these codes for holiness, he begins with identity.
Formations 11.25.2018: You are Witnesses
November 18, 2018 by
So far, Ruth and Naomi and Boaz and their commitments to family have anchored this story. This week we remember that their stories, like all of ours, take place within a community. This last chapter expands the scope of that community.
Connections 03.11.2018: To Know You
March 4, 2018 by
One of my favorite Christian singer/songwriters is Nichole Nordeman. She put out nearly a dozen albums at the beginning of her career and then took a ten-year break to be home with her children and navigate a personal crisis.
Connections 12.24.2017: When the Lord Is With You
December 17, 2017 by
If you ever hear an angel say, “The Lord is with you,” how should you respond? Let me suggest, “Uh oh!” In Mary’s case, the angel’s statement “The Lord is with you” meant “The Lord has a really difficult task for you.”
Formations 10.08.2017: Dance with the One that Brought You
October 1, 2017 by
After recounting his dealings with Peter and the other Jerusalem leaders in chapter 2, Paul launches into the main topic of his letter: “doing the works of the Law” versus “believing what you heard” (3:2). Which of these, Paul asks, is the basis for the blessings God has poured out on us?
“Thank You, Jesus”
June 15, 2016 by
For years a friend of mine faithfully visited his mother in a nursing home. On each visit, en route to her room he passed a thin Alzheimer’s-ridden woman in the hallway. Red-faced and wheelchair-bound, she repeated, “I want a good deal.”
Formations 06.05.2016: All You Have to Change Is Everything You Are
May 29, 2016 by
Why are so many celebrities willing to sacrifice who they are in order to achieve success and fame? Jan Aitken, a life coach based in Dunedin, New Zealand, recently pondered this question after watching a documentary about Janis Joplin, a stellar blues singer.
Connections 04.10.2016: A Fool for You
April 3, 2016 by
In my reading today, one line that Jesus says stands out to me: “Simon, I have something to say to you” (Lk 7:40). That Pharisee named Simon, who had invited Jesus into his home but showed him little hospitality, watched a woman’s extravagant love for Jesus and muttered to himself.
You Need Only Be Still (And Then Get Moving!)
March 16, 2016 by
I’m not very good at being still. I fidget. I pace. I drum my fingers on counters and chew pencils into nubs. There may be some deeper issues at play, but I have always struggled with being still.