In worship this morning, there was no pageant. We didn’t tell the Christmas story. Not really. We talked about John the Baptizer and an angry shepherd who couldn’t believe the good news. And on this Sunday of joy, we didn’t… Continue reading

My TYCWP friend Mihee kindly featured my words on her blog First Day Walking today in a post entitled Layers of Paint. These words appear as part of a series entitled Merely Beloved exploring the various dimensions of spiritual practice.… Continue reading

Yesterday, I wrote a wedding liturgy for the couple in our church that got their wedding license at midnight last night. I will officiate their wedding on Sunday night on the steps of the capital building just across the street… Continue reading

Yesterday, we celebrated the Reign of Christ with a a celebration of the new year in the church. We offered our prayers in the midst of these seasons — in the midst of Lent. We brought rocks forward as symbols… Continue reading

I’m preparing for a very special worship service on Sunday with all sorts of elements included to celebrate the church year. It should be fantastically fun but my very favorite part of this worship service is that it’s for little… Continue reading

On the 25th Sunday of Pentecost, nearly three months into my call at The United Churches of Olympia, it was time to shake up our prayers a little bit. I wanted to do something different this week — partly because… Continue reading

I’m still a little shocked about what happened on Tuesday. I’ll admit it. I was really nervous. I wasn’t sure what would happen. This cautionary hope is still so embedded in my flesh that it seeped into my sermon this… Continue reading

How do you leave spaces in your looking to perceive what you never expected to find? This is the question posed by my morning prayer. This is the question that reveals every last one of the things eating at my… Continue reading

Once upon a time, when pastors were more like other professionals, pastors attempted to maintain a presence in the church office from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. You know, like normal people do. Except, well, nothing about the pastor’s work… Continue reading

Over ten years ago, I remember sitting in my suite mate’s window seat after my first year in college weeping to my dad. I had called simply to thank him for allowing me to go to this wonderful institution where… Continue reading