Baby Prayers I was a crier as a child. I screamed my head off every time I left the house. Santa Claus was scary. The grocery store was scary. It was all just scary. I cried almost daily in 3rd grade, because I had skipped a grade and lost all my friends. At that same time, I began losing my eyesight which is scary but … Continue reading What My Introversion Has Taught Me About Prayer
With the impending inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America, I feel the urgency of my faith like never before. By ‘the urgency of my faith’ I mean its usefulness in guiding who I will be and how I will act now that Mr. Trump will rule the land. I think I would still be alarmed by Mr. Trump without … Continue reading Moral Foundations for Living in Trump’s America (Part 1 of 3)
Hatred of Trump is spiritual death #1. I must confess this sin, repent from it, and seek to love this enemy until he is an enemy no more. Trump is just as I am. Strangely and wonderfully made. Created in God’s own image. Prone to going astray. Fallen well-short of the glory of God. But it is false to say we are fully the same. … Continue reading Transcend This
then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. I’m thinking of this line in Deuteronomy. God’s people are regularly reminded that they were once slaves in Egypt. This reality is encoded in their law and enshrouded in their holidays. The reality of slavery even informed Jews of their inhumane … Continue reading What Christians and Americans can Learn from Judaism
At 5:30am our beloved kitty Daisy let out an odd growl/yelp. I initially thought she had caught a rodent or something, though that is completely against her character. When I found her in the closet she was toppled over against the wall. I eased her into a more comfortable position and with a few gasps, she died. She was 10 years old. She was a lovely … Continue reading Daisy
This past Sunday, as part of a service to help people process the election, I asked people to share ‘what they were hoping for when they voted’. I aked them to share these hopes by writing them down. I asked people to NOT tell me who they voted for. I encouraged their anonymity. Here is what they said: Policy to remember the less fortunate. Kind … Continue reading Why People Voted
Growing up, my parents got involved in Mercer County Youth Soccer League. My mom coached my brother. My dad coached me. My mom also became a league official and then a referee. I remember her studying the rule book and being really proud of herself for passing the physical exam. She mostly refereed under-8 league games. She was really good at teaching the rules and … Continue reading My Election Sermon
In conversation with another parent, my wife and I shared that we are pastors (you never know how that’s going to go). A few minutes later she asked us what our week is like. As we started to describe what we had been doing, I felt an empowering assurance that we were both doing worthwhile things and that they were absolutely appropriate for a pastor. She … Continue reading Yes, Your Theology Matters, Even to a 7-year old
So for Father’s Day, I got an Ancestry.com DNA test kit. I spit into a little tube, mailed it off and awaited an emailed result. And the results are as intriguing as advertised. Prior to getting the results, I had my surname analyzed and found that “Raines” traces back to a village in Essex, UK called Rayne. Or it could come from Rennes in Brittany, northern … Continue reading I’m White, but I Don’t Feel Like It
Looking back no smile no wave no fond farewell Continue reading Son
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