We live in one of the most prosperous societies the world has ever known. By many measures, we have more access, more convenience, and more opportunity than previous generations could have imagined. And yet, for all that abundance, something doesn’t feel right. First,...
As I was sitting at a traffic light on my way home the other day, I noticed the sign at the corner gas station. The price read $4.95. I found myself looking twice, just to be sure I was seeing it correctly. Yep—regular unleaded. It wasn’t just the number. It was that...
There are weeks when I find myself grumbling about things quite close to home: my busy schedule, too many doctors’ appointments, my own struggles to slow down and pay attention. Most importantly, there are times when I feel like I’m missing out on the joy of what’s...
It happens to all of us. We’re exiting off the interstate and see someone with a sign at the end of the ramp, asking for money. Sometimes we roll down our window and offer a small donation. Most of us, most of the time, ignore them. After all, we’re almost always in a...
Our microwave at the parsonage hasn’t worked for at least a couple of years now. For the most part, we don’t miss it. But there are moments. You pour a cup of coffee, get distracted, and come back to it cold. That’s when you miss the microwave. Or when you’re trying...
I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. Less about how little of it there seems to be and more about how I seem to be held hostage by it. We were hoping to be moved into our new home by now. That was the plan. But building a home—really building it well—doesn’t...
We are watching a war unfold that will not end when the headlines fade. The conflict with Iran is already reshaping lives in ways that will take decades to repair. Families are being displaced. Economies are destabilizing. Entire regions are being pushed further into...
This Sunday, we welcome Pastor Jeremy Peters of Court Street United Methodist Church to preach as part of our Lenten series, All Y’all. Jeremy is among my favorite preachers, and we’re all blessed to have him among us. Pastor Jeremy will bring a God-inspired message...
When I visited the Holy Land several years ago, one of our guides said something that has stayed with me ever since. As we were moving from one historic site to another, he paused and asked our group a simple question: “Have you found yourself running where Jesus...
When people read the Sermon on the Mount, it can feel as though Jesus is jumping from topic to topic. One moment He speaks about anger. Then adultery. Then divorce. Then retaliation. At first, these teachings sound like separate moral instructions. But taken together,...