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 […]

Growing and Transforming

July 26, 2020

During the pandemic, like all of us, I’ve limited my in-person interactions with people. I’ve done this for Eric and my health, and to do our part for our community, but I’ve also restricted who I get to be with in person so I can work with volunteers on Tuesday’s unloading produce for […]

Filling Empathy Gaps

July 19, 2020

The past few weeks I’ve been preaching on the Liberation that Jesus and the Holy Spirit let loose in our world. Our Creator has set within our hearts a desire to love and to be loved. But it is easy to get worn out caring. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the powers of […]

You Canna Change the World, if You Don’t Dream BIG!

July 12, 2020

Good Morning, I wish I could see all of you, as you can see me. However, I feel we are connected spiritually. Please join me in prayer: Holy Creator, bless us as we come together to hear your word, explore our spirituality, and seek inspiration to make this world a better place. Considering the Scripture, […]