We work so hard to keep Holy Week well-orchestrated: bulletins pristine, lilies in place, songs rehearsed. It’s an important celebration in the life of…
Tag: Hope
Quietly Anchored by Advent
Some things you only discover over the long course of years. This frustrates an economy of optimization, hyper-fixated on immediate improvement and benefit. Wisdom…
Hope Is Not a Luxury: The Essential Anchor
According to the church calendar, we are in the season of Eastertide which marks the 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. I like…
Gathering in Worship Again: Ways to Mark Change
As many congregations return to gathering in new or partial ways after a period of virtual worship, there are both logistical challenges and shepherding…
Make a Path for God’s Comfort to Arrive
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her…
Edgar Bazan ~ Fishing through the Disappointment of Empty Nets
You and I have fished in those same waters, haven’t we? When we put everything into a marriage to make it wonderful, but in the end, our net came back empty. When we invested blood, sweat, and time into a job, but the company downsized and our net came back empty. Our moment of “fishing” happens when we are trying our best to make a living, raise a family, and do good. But just like the disciples, our nets come back empty.
Karen Bates ~ Wait for God’s Goodness
God has gently reminded me more than once that the onus for what he has promised is not on me. It is on him.
Michelle Bauer ~ Rewriting a Story Gone Wrong
“Ruth’s life is not living up to her expectations. She is a childless widow, living in a foreign land, dependent on the favor of strangers. Enter the Redeemer – the one who can rewrite the ending of a story gone wrong, buying back tragedy and making way for restoration.”
Elizabeth Glass Turner ~ Valuing Your Pastors: Snapshots of Clergy Appreciation Month
“Some of the gestures clergy have pointed out as most meaningful also reflect the particular challenges they face.”
Edgar Bazan ~ Unmet Expectations
What’s happening here? Elijah experienced a huge letdown. Even more, he experienced it in the midst of being faithful. He was wondering what he did wrong and if he was the person that he thought he was, if he was the right person for the job. Perhaps he thought to himself, “I did something wrong; it is my fault,” or, “I have been let down by God.”