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We often think of Saints, paradoxically as models of the very best humanity has to offer, and often at the same time, as pretentious do-gooders who view with disdain the normal rough-and-tumble of modern life.  Well, which is it?  

On a recent podcast the author – a philosopher and pastor by trade – spoke to the three “Masters of Suspicion.” They were Marx, Freud, and Nietzsche. These three shared a deeply help suspicion that altruistic love neither did not nor could not form the ultimate reality of human life.For Karl Marx,...

We love lists. One of the easiest parts of a conversation around church or religion is simply to list beliefs. Beliefs are no small things. Words become worlds. No space then to disparage or denigrate beliefs. And we need movement to more. We need faith. So, what is the difference between faith and...

For the original Christians, Easter with its eternal and sober rhythm of Death – Waiting – Resurrection far outweighed Christmas in the liturgical year. Many days I truly believe our Christian forebearers held it right – that the learning and lessons from Easter far outweigh the learning from...

We find ourselves surrounded by outrage. Moderating voices and temperaments often feel in short supply. Into that world, quieter voices flee. Louder voices grow ever more strident. So, what can do?Maybe we can consider new paradigms, new ways of holding others and the world – new ways that allow a...

When most people think of churches and Pastors, no doubt the focus is on Sunday.  Yet with an average 50-hour work week, the Sunday service is just one part of what Pastor’s do.  

We crave connection.  One form of counterfeit connection is more along the lines of projection, aligned around our effort to appear a certain way, to display our lives in a certain light however far that might indeed deviate from the reality of who we know ourselves to be.

We crave slowing down. We yearn, most days, for a slower, more sustainable pace to our lives.How can then we learn to slow down this summer?We can find it by a practicing a daily Sabbath moment.Let’s begin with this – that slowing down is a command. God clearly commanded rest via the 4th of the...

I read a fascinating question recently courtesy of author Andy Couch. He asked, “Are you more strident today than you were 10 years ago?” For the vast majority of respondents, the answer is “yes”. Couch’s working hypothesis is that our stridency increased proportionally with the growth of social...

Whether we are talking about a closet, a shed, or the basement, I imagine many of us witness the same process.

As we end this fiscal year, we are within striking distance of reaching our fundraising goal for NewChurch Live. When we support NewChurch Live, we support the many services this congregation/ community offers. Some of those are public. Others are quieter, centering around pastoral care, service...

It was the third person I witnessed experiencing a drug overdose. Frightening. They do indeed turn blue. And all three, thankfully, survived.This person, last Tuesday, overdosed while eating dinner at a local shelter. Many miracles obviously but one particularly striking was the gentle, un-anxious...

The end of another school year is here and as we all catch our breath after what feels like a whirlwind from spring sports, end of year concerts, teacher gifts and commencement ceremonies, it can feel like there is no time to breathe. No time to take it all in and reflect on what just happened. You...

Two communication plans….

Pete Davis writes beautifully of the need to find worthwhile commitments in our lives, commitments beyond ourselves, commitments that serve.