“Wait, Be Ready How?”

November 8, 2020

I don’t think the five wise bride’s maids got ready all on their own. I doubt that they independently have the same thought of bringing extra oil to keep their lamps trimmed and burning. Reading this text this week, I wondered if, In Jesus’ parable, there was only one or two who realized it was […]

“In Whose Name?”

October 25, 2020

These past few weeks, I’ve found myself unexpectedly encountering hope. It seems odd given the state of our world, and the grief that has been laid so heavily on our congregation. But I’ve felt the roots of hope strengthening, awaiting to bloom. After months of taking it a day at a time, I’ve found myself […]

Praise Through All Things

October 11, 2020

This is the time of year when I feel most deeply myself. I’m not sure what it is about Autumn, but come October, I experience something of a homecoming to myself. As the days grow shorter, I have moments of giving myself grace to be who I truly am, of taking stock. Maybe it has […]

Exceeding Our Authority

September 27, 2020

The past few weeks I’ve been re-reading “The Wounded Healer” by Henri Nouwen. It was the first work on pastoral care I read, given to me by my mentor, Pastor Ken. I was a young college student and was just starting to find myself drawn into situations of caring for others. I didn’t […]

God’s Economy

September 20, 2020

In our home, there are a lot of small portions of food. It’s not that Eric and I are miserly with our meals. Somewhere along the way of growing up, I picked up a behavior that one of my friends called “taking a Presbyterian serving.” Not wanting to eat the last of a casserole, […]

“Delivered from the Powers”

September 13, 2020

In the midst of the continuing pandemic, while fires in my home state of Oregon threaten evacuations for my family, and concerns about contested election results in November, I’ve spent this week thinking about chariots in the ancient world. It’s not that your pastor has finally lost it, having spent too many hours among my […]

Remember

September 6, 2020

There are many accounts in the Hebrew scriptures of people being surprised. The Bible is filled with this reaction, toward what God is up to in the world or how human beings are responding to it. Sarah’s pregnancy was a surprise. The bedridden man’s recovery was a surprise. Maybe my favorite surprise in scripture […]

Starting with “Why”

August 16, 2020

2020 hasn’t gone quiet like any of us had planned, has it? Lorraine Eakin, the Chair of our Church’s Ministry Coordination, has a particularly vibrant example of this in her home. She created the most incredible color-coded calendar for 2020, highlighting the various ministries we planned for this year. In full Technicolor, this visual represents […]

The Wind and the Waves

August 9, 2020

Good morning! When I read the lectionary reading that was set for this Sunday, I laughed- Sam and I are at the beach with my family, so this passage holds particular relevance this week as we are spending some much-needed time in the sea and on the shore. My thoughts about this passage are […]

“A Long Awaited Blessing”

August 2, 2020

I encountered the story of Jacob and Esau for the first time when I was 18. I’m sure I had heard parts of it growing up, but when I first read and heard the Biblical story in Genesis of fraternal twins Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac and Rebecca, learning how Jacob tricks Esau […]