Category: Spirit
-
I Desire Compassion
The 4th Sunday of the month at Ordinary Community Church is called Community Table. We have a mini service before gathering in the community to hand out meal kits. Our goal is to eventually share a meal with our neighbors. This is the sermonette I prepared for this week – based on Judges 6 and…
-
The Disciple Whom Jesus Loves
John 16:26, 19:26 Written-out sermon delivered @OCC Sunday, January 26, 2025. Christianity is a therapeutic religion. It is alive, relational. It gives us hope and drives out fear. That was the theme of the welcoming sermon the night I arrived for my silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani. “What is the biggest threat to…
-
Abbey of . . . Galveston
Below is an entry from my prayer journal in its raw, unedited version. I haven’t even gone back to re-read it other than to delete personal names and add some photos. I’m afraid that if I re-read it or attempted to edit it for grammar or clarity, I would lose my nerve and never hit…
-
Misunderstood
Sometimes God leaves me scratching my head. Seriously, what was he thinking? God knows that I have NO IDEA what I am thinking. My brain is a jumble. It’s like sitting through an entire movie only to be left scratching my head in bewilderment. Like Water for Chocolate was that kind of movie for me.…
-
Book of NTS
This video culminates the past four years – from the beginning of my journey at Nazarene Theological Seminary to the day of graduation. Starting over and going back to school in my 40s was hard enough. Doing it during a worldwide pandemic was something altogether different. Yet, through it all, I emerged stronger. My life…
-
Ordinary
Today my heart and my prayers are with my friends as we launch our new organic church, Ordinary CC. (I am working as I do every Sunday.) Odd choice of name, perhaps, but when we were trying to come up with a name that fit who we are and what we hoped to accomplish, we…
-
The View Within
Today’s sermon was about not squandering our God-given talents, a reminder that ALL belongs to God. Seems like all the sermons I have listened to this week have been about a similar topic – ALL belongs to God. That is what troubles my heart. We do not have to look very far to see that…
-
I Want to Be the Face of Love
During one of my hospital visits yesterday, I met a man from Africa. He shared with me how peaceful he felt being in the hospital for new year’s rather than out amongst the American traditionalists celebrating with rowdiness and drunkenness. He shared how his family back home – seven hours ahead – were preparing to…
-
#ChurchHurt
I have been hurt by the church . . . and I am a pastor and chaplain. Religious trauma is now a clinical diagnosis. If it had not been for a trip back to Nashville this past summer, attending a conference with 400 other lonely and hurting pastors, reconnecting and healing with/by my home church,…
TRA.Perspective 