Good morning... In yesterday's post I was grateful to sense the fruits of God's Spirit growing early on my Easter Sunday branch, as I heeded Betty Skinner's wisdom: "The big 'I' must die." Twenty-four hours later, I realized my big "I" had not died, instead my big "I" was crouching inside, keeping score. Let me explain. Two minutes [...]
Good morning... I noticed Easter power rising in me twelve hours early. Let me explain just what I mean. At noon on Saturday, I sat on our couch folding load after load of warm, clean laundry. I had enjoyed a conversation with each of our two college-aged daughters home for the holiday weekend and our seventeen-year-old son who [...]
Good morning... This sacred Saturday, we are called to remember, piecing together, mentally re-membering the painstaking process that crucified our Lord. Here is a song to help you remember, piecing together, re-membering in your mind God's ultimate gift of sacrificial love. Let's take ourselves back with a touching rendition of Were you there? Late in the afternoon a wealthy man [...]
Good morning... As a church staff, we sprinkled ourselves into the pews of our wide-open sanctuary to commemorate Maundy-Thursday together. Music. Prayers. Scriptures. Sermon. Communion. We experienced the memory of Jesus' final moments wrapped in the flesh of a man. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from [...]
Good morning... "Oh Sue," she wrote at 8:38 pm last night, nearly twenty-four hour after our first exchange. "To God be the Glory for the words He places on your heart, captures though your pen, lays on your lips. What you have written is the TRUTH! Continue speaking it, my Sister in Christ." (She was referring to yesterday's [...]
Good morning... "Hey Sue," she emailed at 8:23 pm last night. "I am being so blessed by reading your blogs. My daughter and I were talking this afternoon about the devastating destruction of Notre Dame. She asked me is this another sign of the 'end of times' read about in revelation? I would love to hear what you [...]
Happy Palm Sunday... This week we commemorate the biggest checkmark of all time. Beginning today, the Christian church around the globe follows Jesus' descent into the depth of God's love for all of us before ascending to fullness of life we never thought possible. "Jesus’s real purpose in this sacrifice was to wager his own life against his [...]
Good morning... Life-changing experiences shape us into our best selves, one checkmark after another. Let me tell you what I mean. We all know what a checkmark looks like, right? A descending line. Touching down to a bottom base before changing the trajectory of motion. The uptick of an ascending line growing to a higher level than ever [...]
Good morning... Her text was short. "Needed a sign today." Then she shared one photo...one cartoon. I texted back. "Both of these are so so perfect. Your before and after is stunning, a work of art created and recreated by the God of the universe." Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person [...]
Good morning... I melt into tears as I finally have a quiet moment to savor your many loving texts and emails following yesterday's post. Thank you for responding with such love, care, and support as our community grieves yet another shocking loss. Up the road from Northside Church, in the St. Philips community of faith, a similar story [...]
