The cool in the morning air signals a looming shift from summer to fall. Next. As such, our kids have begrudgingly traded sand buckets for lunch boxes. Next. It’s not even October and there’s already a giant inflatable Halloween spider donning the front yard of my neighbor’s home. Next. On so many levels, we’ve given ..read more

If you blinked, you would’ve missed a bevy of movements occurring around us. Indeed, there has been no shortage of activity within the life of the church, both on the local and denominational levels. Given the measures we’ve taken (and will continue to take) in order to navigate the recent permutations of General Conference (I’ll provide ..read more

The Fourth and our celebrations often involve fireworks that have our faces fixed to the skies. In Acts 1, the disciples were doing the same, fixed on another spectacle: Jesus being taken up into the clouds at his ascension precipitated the formation of a heavier fog. Did you see it? It was a fog that settled squarely on the disciples’ faces. They were flummoxed: “Whh…whh…well…wait a second, Lord. We thought this would be the time you’d take the lead. We assumed you’ve returned to roll up your sleeves and start renovating. Uh, in case you didn’t realize, Rome still rules, and a kingdom still n ..read more

God—you’re my God!     I can’t get enough of you! I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,     traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,     drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last!     My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath;     My arms wave like banners of praise to you. Psalm 63: 1-4, MSG In preparation for the start of another teaching series (one that deal ..read more

Christ Church Family,  With recent news coming out of General Conference and decisions made by our global body, we find ourselves in a transient time—a time that excites some and exasperates others. At once, there is celebration and trepidation, deep concern and great hope. It’s not an alien experience in the history of the church, even if there are complexities that are new to us. As your pastor, I hold the amalgam of those emotions in tension. It’s a crucible of sorts, and the manner in which we decide to navigate it will be a determining factor in how vital we are and ho ..read more

On the day Jesus conquered death, it was still dark when the women walked. On the day Jesus conquered death, the disciples locked the door. On the day that Jesus conquered death, Emmaus travelers packed their bags. Nothing was settled, nothing was clear. There wasn’t a ton of movement in those early hours, but undoubtedly their minds were racing: “What will come of us? Where do we go from here? How do we move forward and when will my world feel right again?” They wouldn’t be the last to languish in that liminal space—in the tension of transition. All of us know the burden of being in between ..read more

A procession of palms; a parade of ‘hosannas’-turned- chorus of ‘crucify him.’ In between, there’s a solemn but significant meal in an upper room, followed by a moonlit prayer in the ominous shadows of an olive grove. And then the unthinkable on Friday—that bloody cross and a flagellated Christ weaving their way through the Via Dolorosa to the Place of the Skull (Golgotha) and then, two days later, the early morning darkness on Sunday. At first blush, the events of Holy Week seem so heavy and other-worldly. If we’re not careful, we can pigeonhole ourselves into a role akin to mere spectators ..read more

Ah, the summer break.  What are summer excursions but an attempt to escape? For some, it’s the demands of the job, a getaway from the daily grind; for others, it’s the excitement attached to exploration and navigating something new; and still, for others, it’s a means of multiplying time and seizing moments. Motivations notwithstanding, who hasn’t stared out the office window and daydreamed of being somewhere else?  The summer break is alluring since we often associate it with somewhere better…even if better is brief. But the desire generalizes, doesn’t it? Set aside seasons of the ..read more

The palms of the procession have been laid on the path; the shouts of hosanna hung in the air for a little while, but they’re nowhere to be found…and depending on which Gospel you’re reading, Jesus has overturned the tables of the temple rather than overthrowing Rome…and it was all so confusing. For many, nothing about the week had gone right…and perhaps the same can be said of you in this particular season of your life. And now, even if it was for just a moment, (before he steals hell, sin, and the grave) the Savior steals away with his disciples to a secluded, private place—away from the cha ..read more

We cry, “Can’t;” He bids, “Try.” We bark, “Won’t.” He asks, “Why?” Christ takes our little and makes a lot, As long as we give Him what we’ve got. Little time, little stuff, In the Land of Lack, there’s not enough. A lack of trust; muffled wishes, Might as well be loaves and fishes. In our “not enough,” He deletes our “not.” “You have enough, child, what’cha got?” Behold what God binds and looses When we make a difference, not excuses. So relinquish the little you think you’ve got. Abundance is the option. Failure’s not. Answer the call; shine the light! A dark world waits—the har ..read more