We have all been witness to people, living their ordinary lives, when change, seemingly overnight, have become our heroes.  None of us desires the feeling of isolation.  When I think of the people in Ukraine, I cannot help but think how isolated they must feel from the rest of the world.  We realize we are sojourners in this…

Sometimes things seem pretty heavy right now. I mean there are wars going on around the world and the images from Ukraine are rough. Most of the -isms (racism, sexism, etc.) are still in full swing. The pandemic is over/not over and mental health across the board is not good. There is so much division…

Yes, today is the Feast Day of St. Patrick or as the world has come to know it “St Patrick’s Day”.  As Ireland’s patron saint he is credited with escaping slavery and returning to convert the Emerald Isle.  A quick study of St. Patrick leads to the revelation that much of what we know of St.…

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Jesus loves us enough to accept us as we are. But loves us so much that he will not leave us as we are. Jesus loves us enough to tell the truth about our true situation. Jesus holds up before us our true, God given vocation and holds us…

For the past week, Jan and I have been following the mushers that are participating in the Iditarod Sled Dog race – the 1000-mile race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.  This is an amazing event, now in its 50th year, with 50 teams of up to 14 dogs, going through the majestic Alaska Range, down the Yukon…

Lent is the time when we follow Jesus on his journey. He’s headed for Jerusalem, and we know what’s coming. Why do we put ourselves through this every year? It’s rough. We remember how the people don’t get his message (God loves you.) We remember how power seems to be more important to people than…

Every morning at 6:15 I meet with a group of coworkers and talk about God. It’s something I had never done before and had never had the opportunity to do in this small group type of setting. Without a doubt it is one of my favorite things about my new job. The person leading these…

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I appreciate the teaching of Joseph G. Donders. One of his quotes that I have prayed to have help my spiritual compass is:      “Jesus’ approach is always fresh, surprising, new, and unexpected. Consequently, it always provoked a direct reaction…He shattered firmly formed convictions and beliefs. He often used nonreligious language,…

“The nicest thing about the promise of spring is, sooner or later she’ll have to keep it.” – Mark Beltaire This season is a time of warming weather and nature coming back to life. It’s exciting and energizing. Spring cleaning is on my mind and I don’t even like cleaning. As flowers bloom and birds…

Yesterday was the First Sunday in Lent. Pastor Dave compared the temptation of Adam & Eve in Gen 3 to Jesus’ temptation in Luke 4. He suggests that most temptations have to do with identity. Jesus was strong in his identity as son of God. You can watch worship here and see photos here. We…