Thoughts on Life and Worship

Living the Father’s Grand Story Sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14  “In matters of God’s grace, hyperboles are understatements.” Eugene Peterson, Practice Resurrection (63) You take after your Father… I was fortunate to have a good father and I’m grateful for the legacy that he gave me.  Typical of his generation, he didn’t spend a lot of time with me – for him, nurturing the kids was my mom’s job.  But he modeled faithfulness, hard work, kindness and an appreciation for beauty that I have inherited.  He taught us how to do things – to not be afraid to get our hands dirty.  When he was happy, he would dance, sing silly songs or say things in a language that he made up himself.  (His father did the same thing.) My father’s hobby was building boats, which was his father’s vocation.  When my day died several years ago, I built a model boat to affirm my connection to him and to mourn my loss – a hobby that I have continued to today.  I...

Introduction What a terrific and moving time this has been together!  I have had the privilege of serving many different congregations.  Each has had their own unique traditions that have been deeply meaningful.  What you have established in this service of remembering, commissioning, and recommitment is truly a rich expression of what it means to be a church – the Family of God on mission. This year has been a very significant season in the life of our church as we transitioned in the senior leadership role.  And God, indeed, has been with us.  Diane and I both feel affirmed in our calling here.  There is a sense that we are beginning to work well together as a staff and as a church.  Good things are happening and opportunities for engagement in the community are beginning to emerge.  One of those, the question of whether or not we should partner with the Knox Prairie Community Kitchen, will be addressed in conversation and a forum du...

January, 2018 One of the factors that really excited me about our church when I first began to explore the possibility of being your senior pastor was the fact that some of our leaders had worked their way through a very important book entitled, Pursuing God’s Will Together.  I had read and digested the book a few years before and it profoundly influenced my philosophy and practice of spiritual leadership.  Now that I have been with you for over six months, I know that some of the principles of spiritual discernment have taken root in our church’s culture and that is very encouraging to me.  Now, we have an opportunity to test our ability to hear God’s voice together.  Earlier this week, I published a piece in our monthly newsletter detailing an opportunity that has emerged to partner with the Knox Prairie Community Kitchen (KPCK http://www.knoxprairiekitchen.org).  Here’s a portion of that letter: During the Summer of 2017, our facility served as the p...

The Long Road Home Matthew 2:1-12 Introduction I think everyone likes a little adventure in their life.   I’m not talking extreme sports or anything crazy like that.   Those folks are a breed apart.   But most people, I think, are searching for something in their lives.   I know that bug afflicts me all the time.   I think I was always that way.   If you ask my mom, she would tell you that I was always doing something.   Not always good – but I was always doing something.   I’m still that way.   Hard for me to sit still.   If I could afford it, I’d go back to school.  I just love school!  (Diane winces whenever I bring this up.)  I love to learn.  I remember for years after I finished my master’s degree being frustrated because there seemed to be no path forward in education for me.  There were no terminal degree programs (don’t you just love that phrase “terminal degree?”  You can interpre...