When I think of Christmas, I often think of car trips. I think of packing up suitcases and sleeping bags. I think of laundry baskets full of Christmas presents for the cousins, that go into the station wagon. I think of my brothers and I, loading into the back, rear-facing seat of the Ford Country Squire (complete with … More Where Heaven Meets Earth
The scriptures say: “But Mary treasured these words…and pondered them in her heart.” When I hear this familiar part of our Christmas story…an image comes to my mind. I picture Mary, holding the baby Jesus, rocking him. It is so peaceful…she’s smiling… reflecting on this new life in her arms…contemplating the words of the angels … More Ponder These Things
Have you ever been a witness? I mean a real, live, actual legal witness? Like in a courtroom? I have. Years ago, I was on a church summer trip with a bunch of the young people from my congregation when they witnessed a crime. They did the right thing, and reported it, and the individual … More No Filter
Salt, and light. We “get” salt and light. We understand it. (we’ve got salt for our popcorn…we’ve got lamps for reading…) But in our Gospel, Jesus goes way beyond that. We know that we use salt to add flavor, and that we use light in order to see. But if you take a broader perspective…say … More #ForTheMargins: Maria’s Story
So how are you coming on those New Year’s resolutions? Are you on track? Or have you faltered? Have you been successful at (fill in the blank) losing weight, or eating healthier or reading your 1 book per week or whatever your resolution might be for 2019? Or do you feel like you’ve already crashed … More Through Jesus’ Love: We Welcome
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79 I am usually up in the mornings around 5:30am. I spend a … More Light in the Darkness
Tragedy most often feels distant. Bad things happen: Perhaps a hurricane, or a tornado, or an accident, or a mass shooting, and we feel sympathy, and we wish it hadn’t happened, and we talk about it and we think to ourselves “I wish there were a solution,” and then we go on with our lives. … More One of the shooting victims in Thousand Oaks sang at Trinity last year…
When I’m driving, I love pulling up behind cars that have a lot of bumper stickers. I don’t know what it is, but I kind of get a kick out of seeing what they say. I think when people put bumper stickers, or window stickers on their cars, they are trying to tell us something, … More A Bumper Sticker Kind of Faith
“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the … More So what will we do when Westboro Baptist comes to protest at Trinity?
In college there was a woman that I wanted to ask out on a date. I was very nervous about it. I was in my dorm room with a couple of friends and I was going back and forth on making the phone call. Finally, I said “Well, what’s the worst that can happen? She’ll … More A Different Kind of Church
Test Driving Theology 