Our family of churches, the ones that make up Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, are gathering this week for worship and business. The tension we’ve been living in for the past couple of years is almost palpable at times, while in other moments we just …
Read MoreGenerous Giving
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on June 28, 2015) One of the gifts we gave you today is that we took the offering BEFORE we started talking about generous giving. You’re welcome! 🙂 My goal is to stay as far away from guilt today …
Read MoreIntentional Thinking Vs. Default Thinking: Alcohol and Marijuana
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on June 14, 2015) This week, in discussing and thinking about alcohol and marijuana, some deeper things were proved to me once again. Honest discussion and even disagreement in the pursuit of truth is a good thing. It also …
Read MoreWhat’s Your Plan?
(Message given May 24, 2015 at Newberg Friends Church) Yesterday I got the oil changed in my car. I like dropping these little glimpses of how exciting my life is. It was overdue. That little sticker in the window was yelling at me for quite …
Read MoreTogetherness
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on May 10, 2015) Anyone here taken the written driver’s test lately? I thought I’d start today with a little DMV quiz. Take a look a this. Assuming these cars arrived at the same time, which of the cars …
Read MoreMarriage Forever?
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on May 3, 2015) Barb Mitchell and her team usually have flowers up front on Sunday mornings. But when she saw the topic today was about marriages that last, she thought a 50th anniversary balloon would be a good …
Read MoreBoundaries and Practices
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on April 19, 2015) Remember last week I told you I usually come up with a little paragraph and the bible text we are using for a particular Sunday? Remember how I said sometimes it changes a lot when …
Read MoreQuestions vs. Creed
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on April 12, 2015) Whenever I consciously think about it, the huge variety of ways that the bible talks about God overwhelms me. The spectrum goes from huge, cosmic God on one end…the God who creates everything, who parts seas, …
Read MoreA Wide Open Table
(Message given at Newberg Friends Church on April 5, 2015) One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that there is always a deeper layer of meaning to discover in these huge moments in Jesus’ life, these holidays that truly celebrate holy days. I …
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