I never thought I’d find myself in liturgy. I was raised in the Church of Christ in Texas in the 1990s. My father was raised Episcopalian in Texas in the 1960s, only because there happened to be an Episcopal church across the street from his house. My father’s father was raised Swiss Mennonite in Kansas…
In the past year I have tossed out, bought, and again tossed out more throw pillows than I ever imagined humanly possible. I had my rescue pup to thank for this uptick in pillow purchases and disposal. Hobbes was a sweet dog, but he suffered some trauma before coming to live with us, and he…
So much out in the world seems ugly. I often wonder if that’s because our social media culture reveals more of the darkness or if there really is more darkness out there. Perhaps it’s both. We know the solution—Jesus. Love. Bringing the light into the darkness. We can all shine our lights from our own…
When you think of church, what’s the first word that comes to mind? Many of us have had positive experiences and think of words like home, community, discipleship, and love. Others may think of sad words, like hurt, rejection, judgment, and loss. The reality is that the church is comprised of communities of imperfect people…
We are in a sweet season right now with our church. God has moved us to a diverse community where, for the first time in two decades, our family blends into the crowd. This diversity surrounds us even on Sunday mornings, still considered one of the most segregated times of the week. One of the…
I started attending church in the eighties when my family joined a small, conservative congregation. We sat in hard, wooden pews. The stained-glass windows let in green-tinted sunlight. Hymnals provided a guide for four-part harmony, and King James gave us our Bible verses. Every week, between the songs and the sermon, we passed a brass…