From a Pastor's Point of View

choices

  • Cleaning the House for Our Guest

         During the Advent season, we take a fearless, moral inventory of ourselves and of how we relate to those around us. To truly prepare, consider specific practices like prayer, reflection, or confession that help us remove the lent of… Continue reading

  • Finding God in a Chaotic World

    “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10).      The season of Advent sounds excellent, but finding time to prepare and listen to God seems impossible. Through December, leading up to Christmas, we find ourselves bombarded by countless… Continue reading

  • A Light in the Middle of Our Darkness

    “We saw his star in the east[a] and have come to worship him” (Matt. 2:2b CEB).      Sometimes, I watch a New Mexico sundown and feel transfixed by the fantastic colors. One of my favorite moments is watching as the… Continue reading

  • Let Us Not Forget Joseph, the Father of Jesus, whose virtues of faithfulness and humility serve as a model for us all.

      “Joseph was a good man…” Matt. 1:19a).     The Bible highlights Joseph’s love for Mary and his choice to divorce her privately, emphasizing virtues that inspire us to embody kindness and obedience. This gentle act should motivate us to… Continue reading

  • Our Calling to Great Journeys

         Recently, I embarked on a journey through the Bible with a Monday evening class at my church. As I revisited the familiar passages in Genesis, I found myself captivated by Abram’s transformative journey. He was in the land of… Continue reading

  • There is a Time to Mourn When Moving to Another Church

    “Everything on earth has its own time and its own season” (Eccl. 3:1 CEB). The first verse from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes reminds me that mourning the loss of the church I leave is natural. The reading does not… Continue reading

  • Navigating a Church Split

         I am a United Methodist Pastor, and the season in which we live is not easy. So it is with great sadness that I see and hear churches in my annual conference choose to disaffiliate with the United Methodist… Continue reading

    Navigating a Church Split

  • God Speaks Even in Our Exile

    We finished the Book of Daniel yesterday, and something hit me over the head for the first time.  This is not my first time reading the text, yet the message revealed to me is quite clear.  Why have I missed… Continue reading

  • Who Am I?

    Recently, I spent part of an afternoon in a department store.  I wanted to take advantage of sales.  As I continued to glance, my eyes caught a showcase of a beautiful collection of watches.  I thought to myself, “Oh, I… Continue reading

  • Living Our Faith

    Last Sunday I asked the congregation, “You are a new creature in Christ, so what are you going to do about it?”  In asking the question, I hoped to spark an awareness that our faith requires us to not only… Continue reading