It is the first week of Advent. Time to reread the Christmas story and become familiar again with Gabriel visiting Mary, of Elizabeth becoming pregnant well past her childbearing years, of Zechariah being silenced because of his lack of faith, of Jesus being born in a stable manger, of the choir of angels singing to […]
Over the past several weeks I have been asking friends and colleagues, “For what are you grateful?” One friend thought a moment and said, “I am grateful for the paperweight on my desk. I have had it for over 30 years. It is an ordinary rock that has red and yellow paint splattered on it. […]
There is in most of us a deep uncertainty and tension about change. On one hand, you want to grow, develop, and expand. Even when it brings anxiety, you may like some level of adventure. Growing is a part of who you are. The idea of becoming more than you are is exciting. On the […]
What great work does God have for you to do? You know the desires of your heart and the stirrings in your soul. You also know the tensions and anxieties of living into who you know God created you to be and the pressures of the work and world around you. So, how do you […]
You are a person of influence. You might not see yourself as influential, but there are individuals and groups of people you influence by your relationships, interactions, and decisions. Your influence gives you the opportunity to be a leader. Brené Brown writes, “A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people […]
We all want healthy, life-giving, encouraging, relationships in our lives. Relationships of mutual respect, grounded in compassion and care. Relationships built on love and integrity which give us the strength to live our lives to the fullest. Courageous relationships give us support to be the leaders needed at work, at home, in the community, and […]
Have you taken the time today to reflect upon God’s presence? Where have you seen God or experienced God this past week? What are you doing to intentionally cultivate your awareness of God’s presence in your life or in the people around you? I know these are not easy questions to answer. And when you […]
Have you ever taken a journey in your mind? When you read something or hear a word, a phrase, or you think of someone or an event and it reminds you of something which is related to something else. You begin to think of people or events related to whatever triggered the thought and before […]
How have you experienced God’s call in your life? Although the words, God’s call, can be associated with the vocation of ministry, to answer God’s call is to decide how you are going to live your life in service to God. There is nothing necessarily mystical about God’s call. Isaiah saw a vision and Samuel […]
Well, I have done it again. I was reflecting on the gospel lection for Sunday and I jumped ahead in the chapter. The gospel for Sunday was Luke 15:1-10. The shepherd finds the lost sheep, and comes home shouting, “Rejoice with me, my lost sheep has been found.” The woman cries to her neighbors, “Come […]