Ministry is a series of mundane things interrupted unexpectedly with less-than-mundane things. Sometimes the mundane and the less-than-mundane are connected. Here’s a glimpse of a Sunday of such connections. 5:15am: Alarm worked! I get to my desk, heat up the tea and review my sermon for the day. I added a story to the message, checked the other elements and made a game plan for … Continue reading A Mostly-Typical Sunday
Early Morning…Rally Day at the High School I began the day with a rally for staff and faculty of the school district. It included band, cheerleaders, Folklorico dancers. We introduced new teachers and staff and heard a moving presentation of our new district Strategic Plan. I chatted with one of the new para-educators at Centennial Elementary (I recognized her t-shirt) as well as the media … Continue reading A Monday in Ministry
Dear Mr. Rubio, While I know you have plenty of mean critics, I assure you that I write this with loving concern specifically for you. You don’t have to do what you’re currently doing. Part of being an American is having the freedom to walk away from something that is not good for you. You can do this at any time. Every time I see … Continue reading Letters to Trump: An Open Letter to Marco Rubio about Zacchaeus
I am using John Wesley’s Holy Club examen questions to examine my own life. #8- Did I give it (the Bible) time to Speak to me today? The Bible has been speaking to me, even though I’m not formally studying it like I should. The accumulated studies of the past have given me a familiarity and comfort with the scriptures, to the point that I … Continue reading Wesleyan Examen 29APR2025
Note: Moral Mondays are a regular movement to speak moral principles to matters of community and national interest. They were begun by Rev. William Barber (wiki). “I and Thou”, was Martin Buber’s famous appeal to a heightened sense of commonality among all humanity. I came to this idea through Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He used I and Thou to raise the American conscience … Continue reading Moral Mondays: Beyond Proximity
Dear Mr. Trump, None of these shenanigans will bring you the peace and happiness you wish you had. So you made a bunch of money with your tariff scheme. Haven’t you already had a bunch of money your whole life? If money brings anyone happiness, shouldn’t you be one of the happiest people in history? We all know you’re not. If you want to be … Continue reading Letters to Trump 10APR2025
Empathy is just loving one’s neighbor. It is feeling their circumstances. It is seeing their dignity and sacred worth in the midst of life’s ups and downs. It is not a sin. It is a gift from God. One cannot be too loving of another. Consider the child at school who’s learning the ABCs in a different language. Mom and Dad fled violence back home, … Continue reading The Miracle of Empathy
I am using John Wesley’s Holy Club examen questions to examine my own life. 22) Is Christ real to me? Yes. Mostly. I believe mostly in the man Jesus. A good man. A godly man. I’m not sure about the divinity piece. That might be something I just don’t understand. I’m intrigued by the notion that God would take human form. I know it was … Continue reading Wesleyan Examen 031125
At New Years, I did the thing I always do: I set a very ambitious program of self-improvement. A reading schedule, a writing goal, a walking routine, a strength-training regimen, etc. Last week, I found the chart I created to track it all. I have failed at most of it. So for Lent, I just decided to focus on one thing: reducing my phone usage. … Continue reading Reducing Phone Usage: My Lent Challenge
deeplyplaid.com 