This morning at Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) we continued a summer sermon series: Stories That Shape Us: How Jesus’ Parables Transform the Way We See God, Ourselves, and the World. Sermon My message, ““Build Wisely is based on Matthew 7:24-27. You can watch below or read the manuscript. Excerpt Let me introduce you to someone I learned a great deal about this week: Claudette. At age 59, she’s finding her way in life and doing so in a denomination in full communion Read More …
Celebrating Personal and Professional Milestones (#2237)
During the final two weeks of June, I am celebrating three significant milestones: Birthday The only time I previously blogged about my birthday was when I turned 40 (see My Milestone Birthday Experience). Year after year, I continue to celebrate my birthday each year with friends and family. This year my celebrations stretched across an entire week and included special events in multiple states. I'm truly grateful to everyone who reached out to offer birthday wishes and also for Read More …
Start Small (#2236)
This morning at Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) we kicked off a summer sermon series: Stories That Shape Us: How Jesus’ Parables Transform the Way We See God, Ourselves, and the World. Sermon My message, "“Start Small” is based on Matthew 13:31-35. You can read the manuscript. (Video isn't available for this service due to technical difficulties.) Excerpt To begin this series, I figured we should start small. And according to today’s Gospel lesson you can’t get any smaller Read More …
Interim Ministry: Then and Now (#2235)
Then This morning when I opened my Facebook feed I saw a number of "on this day" memories, including one from 11 years ago. On June 18, 2014, I highlighted the conclusion of my interim ministry role in Southwest Florida, "Final meeting with the Board of Trustees at United Church of Marco Island earlier this evening. It has been a blessing to serve as the Interim Senior Minister for the last 10 months." Now I am currently 11 days away from completing my first year as the Interim Read More …
Celebrating Pride at Cathedral of Hope (UCC)! (#2234)
This morning I attended the 10:00 am worship service at Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ. As a long-term member of CoH (for more on my experiences in this vibrant. inclusive, and progressive community over the last eight years check out Long-Term Church Membership) and as a LGBTQ+ ally it was important to me to be present for Pride Sunday. 55 Years of Faithful Ministry Cathedral of Hope will soon celebrate its 55th anniversary. From humble beginnings as a small Read More …
Returning to Naples United Church of Christ: Where My UCC Journey Began (#2233)
Greetings from sunny Naples, Florida where I'm currently vacationing! Earlier today I visited the church that introduced me to the United Church of Christ: Naples United Church of Christ. Toward the UCC I've written extensively about my journey of faith, including my denominational transitions Initial Experience Prior to visiting Naples UCC I had not visited many churches on Sunday morning as an adult because I had spent my entire adult life to that point serving in full-time Read More …
Spiritual Forecast: Sustained Winds (#2232)
This morning at Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) we celebrated Pentecost and Confirmation. Sermon My message, “Forecast: Sustained Winds” is based on Acts 2:1-21, 41. You can watch below or read the manuscript. Excerpt The Life-Giving Wind is always blowing – sometimes as a breeze and sometimes at gale force. Wherever the Life-Giving Wind blows, the church is about renewal not repetition. Churches that do the same thing over and over again often see Read More …
Great New Books for June 2025 (#2231)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are Welcome Back Four names on this month's list are repeat authors or editors Read More …
United in Jesus (#2230)
This morning at Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) we concluded the Easter Hope series and welcomed new members. Sermon My message, “One in Jesus” is based on the narrative lectionary passage: Galatians 3:1-9, 23-29. You can watch below or read the manuscript. Excerpt In Christ, we are all equal. We are all united in Jesus. For most of us it is probably pretty easy to look around our sanctuary this morning and agree that we are one in Jesus. It takes a bit Read More …
Going Electric! (#2229)
Every vehicle I have ever owned was gas-powered until now! Beginning to Change In 2019 and in 2021 I purchased hybrid SUVs made by Toyota and Honda respectively. This enabled me to own and operate more environmentally friendly vehicles without ending a lifelong reliance on gas. Going Electric Finally, in May 2025, I made the transition to electric when I bought a 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5. So What? I've been researching and learning about EVs for several years. I decided to Read More …