Dear Friends, This past week I had the privilege of officiating at the funeral of a woman from our church who recently passed away. Her name was Jessica, and she had survived a difficult life. She grew up in a home with an alcoholic father who was physically abusive. When she was 5, her mother abandoned the family, never to be heard from again. At 29 she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At 45 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And at 54 she developed brain cancer. But none of those experiences and challenges defined Jessica - because at the age of 55, she met Jesus, and asked Him to be her Savior. And if you asked her about her past, or what her life was like growing up - she alwa

Dear Friends, Today I've been thinking a lot about the book of Nehemiah. Although I've read through it several times before, today I kept thinking about the opening passage which says: “They said to me, ‘Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.’ When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:3-4) If you’re not familiar with Nehemiah, he was an Israelite who lived during a time when the Jewish people were under Persian rule. He served in a position of great

Dear Friends, Most of you have probably heard about the situation that happened this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. And you’ve probably also heard a lot of reactions and opinions about why it happened, and who was responsible, and what we should do about the issue of race relations in our country. I have purposely not said much about it, as I’ve learned over the years that it's better to listen long and hard before speaking, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do. But as I’ve listened, one thing has become very clear: people are angry. I listened to folks who are angry about the original protest, and folks who are angry about the counter-protests, and folks who are angry at the

Dear Friends, One of the great privileges of being a pastor is that I get invited to walk with people through the ups and downs of their lives. That means I often get to be included in wonderful events like baptisms, weddings, and baby dedications. But at the same time, I'm also around to help with tragedies, disappointments, and funerals. Such was the case today, as I talked with a woman from our church who is struggling because of all the challenging things going on in her life. The result is that she is feeling completely overwhelmed. I totally understand where she's coming from, because over the years, I’ve also had times when the challenges of life felt overwhelming. But what I've

Dear Friends, This morning I pulled up at an intersection behind a car with a rear bumper which was completely covered in stickers. The subject of the stickers ranged from expressing support of a local elementary school, all the way to presidential candidates - and quite a few subjects in between. As I sat there trying to read them all before the traffic light changed, I noticed one that was partially covered up by a declaration of support for the Dallas Cowboys. The semi-hidden sticker said, “I Found JESUS - Have YOU?”. Having been raised in the church, it’s a phrase I’m familiar with, because it’s one that many Christians often use. But as I read it on the back of that car this morning

Dear Friends, This morning I spent some time at a local cafe, working on my sermon for this weekend. It was a great opportunity to sit outside and enjoy a good cup of coffee while still being productive. While I was there, two young guys came and sat at the table next to me. They seemed to be having a serious conversation, so I tried to tune out. But about ten minutes after they sat down, I couldn’t help overhearing one of the guys say to the other, “I've really been praying and wrestling with God over this one.” And my first thought was, “I hope you lose.” Now, before you jump to the conclusion that I’m an incredibly unkind person, let me explain that I had that particular response be