As the Church considers what ministry in this new COVID-and-beyond era looks like, this is the perfect time to remember that our invitation is not to create experiences for people to consume and then walk away from, but to cultivate encounters for people to connect with each other — and with the Divine.
Read MoreIn 2003, my life became defined by disability. A car accident took the use of my legs and ushered me into a world of dependence -- dependence, in large part, on the goodwill, generosity, and forethought of others to make the world accessible for this independent, headstrong, frustrated wheelchair user.
Now, 18 years later, although the world has come a very long way to becoming inclusive to those with disabilities of all kinds, the Able-Bodied still struggle in their desire to THINK like the disabled, to anticipate needs and understand the weight of having to lean on others for equality.
Read MoreTemporary-New-Normals are an odd thing, because we act in faith and hope that it isn't a forever-new-normal, and yet it's long enough that we really can't just press "pause" on our lives and wait it out.
Read MoreFrom dust you were made; to dust you shall return...I was not ready for what happened next.... Standing before me was my own child.
Read MoreI often find myself sitting next to my kids, talking through the Big Things that are happening in their lives — some of those Big Things I experienced when I was their age, but let’s face it: Our kids have different lives than we did, and some of this is new for all of us. Because of that, I was delighted to see When Kids Ask Hard Questions: Faith-Filled Responses for Tough Topics come across my social media feed recently.
Read MoreWorship is a sacred time, when we come together in the name of God, to proclaim the Word, to fellowship, to pray. It is when we remember our call to be people of peace, looking to the model of the Prince of Peace. It is when we gather around the Table to remember a Christ who engaged in nonviolence even when his life was threatened… even as he was executed by an occupying political regime. I prefer not to focus worship on secular holidays as a rule (see also: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day) for this reason; they tend to detract from worship of God and place our trust in humanity instead. I am a Christian because of the goodness of God, not the fallibility of humanity.
Read MoreUnsure which to choose for your kids? Check out this breakdown by age!
Read MoreThese stories that are now in our Bible — and particularly Hebrew Scriptures (what we sometimes call the Old Testament) -- were verbally passed down from generation to generation, not recorded for hundreds of years. Imagine a family sitting around a fire: a tired mom and dad from a hard day of labor, kids everywhere, and a loving grandmother who spent each night telling bedtime stories, stories of their people and their God. About giants and towers and a talking snake and a great flood.
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