Here’s something I haven’t said publicly for a very long time: I love what I do! I’ve always loved how being a pastor gives me a unique invitation to walk alongside people through their joy and their pain. In just the last 48 hours, I’m …
Read MoreAre we really going to talk about…communion?
Thank you. Thanks for all your thoughts, e-mails, and prayers. Today was a good day. In each service, it seemed we became a gathered meeting. God’s presence was with us, and this was a very good experience for me. I think, as Robin wrote in …
Read MoreBarclay Press #5
In worship on Sunday, I’ll be talking about communion. I’ve been reading things I haven’t read in awhile, like Barclay’s Apology and Jack Willcuts’ Why Friends are Friends and Elton Trueblood’s A People Called Quakers. I’ve read things I haven’t read before, in particular Thomas …
Read MoreBarclay Press #4
Wednesday, I gathered with other Newberg pastors for a prayer summit. We met at 5 Rock Ranch, outside of Yamhill, Oregon. One of the best things about the day came in the late afternoon. We’d gotten to the point where we could share honestly how …
Read MoreBarclay Press #3
I’m full, God. The good kind of full. Many good things from the day are filling me with contentment and joy and gratefulness to you. May S______’s meeting today be one where she is able to resist being drawn in emotionally, and instead be a …
Read MoreBarclay Press #2
You know what it’s like to wake up wrong, don’t you? (Yes, I’m talking to you. I just can’t follow the rules. I’ve been blogging too long; I can’t just pretend like you’re not there.) I woke up wrong Monday. I don’t usually remember my …
Read MoreBarclay Press-Day 1
I got in trouble the first time I did the online journal at Barclay Press. I didn’t follow the rules. Evidently, I was supposed to “pretend” that I was pouring out my soul into a diary that through some freak of nature ended up online …
Read MoreAre we really going to talk about…environmentalism?
This series has been good for me, but it makes worship seem a little odd. Especially today. This is not like anything I’ve done before, but I think it’s what I’m supposed to be doing right now. I ended up using quite a few visuals, …
Read MoreDad or mom?
The latest rage rampaging the blog world is a “look like” site. It uses face recognition to see if a child looks more like mom or dad. The first time I did it, all three of our kids looked equally like mom and dad. I …
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