To engage in the construction of a new church is an awesome and difficult task. Many pastors and congregations have tales to tell that suggest that undertaking a building project is not for the faint-hearted. There is so much to consider. A new building must reflect the congregation’s need for new space. There is consideration of cost. … Continue reading Regard Your Servant’s Prayer
Over the weekend I officiated at a wedding for a young man who I have known since he was eight years old, when I moved to the town where he and his family lived, and I became his pastor. He is brilliant and funny and now, full of life. However, he has also had his … Continue reading Experiences While Knitting a Blanket
The question comes As I knew it would Quiet as a whisper Through early morning sounds Of cricket chirps and bird canticles Over a steaming mug of my favorite Guatemalan coffee “Is your spirit quiet this morning?” For a moment I wait Not ready to answer Not ready to commit To something that … Continue reading This Day My Spirit is Green
Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. These are the words that begin the next chapter of the saga of King David and the words are loaded with meaning and hints of intrigue. These are words of transition that bridge the details of the end of David’s reign … Continue reading I Ask For Wisdom
This summer, as the Old Testament Lectionary readings have taken us through the saga of his life, we reach a turning point for King David, when the Prophet Nathan was sent by God to confront David about his sin. Nathan told a story to David about a poor man who had an ewe lamb. The … Continue reading Deal Gently
Do you remember the first time that you felt guilty? I do. Very clearly, I remember. It was one of those things that happen in childhood—an act that I would have forgotten long ago, except that I felt so guilty. It was the guilt I felt afterwards. I was in the first grade and my … Continue reading Making Room for Grace
That day was a Psalm 42 kind of day. It was as hot and as humid as a North Carolina summer day could be and I had a yearning to be cool and comfortable. I had a longing to walk through the woods, on my grandfather’s farm, where the shade of the trees would … Continue reading Deep Calls to Deep
