I love the New Year. I do. I love fresh starts, new beginnings, a resetting of priorities. Everything is possible. The snow (not in Santa Rosa, CA, of course) feels fresh and the skies look blue. I’ve organized new calendars for home and office, paid the bills, run a lot of miles, finished a couple…
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Just before Advent, I finished a sermon series on King David. It wasn’t long, just eight sermons, but for those two months I lived and breathed David. After I finished the final sermon, a friend asked “So, what did you take away from the David story for yourself, your own life?” My unfiltered answer was…
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Pastor, you are God’s beloved. Even if your church like mine faces overwhelming odds – in deep need of soul revival, visionary co-laborers, and ministry re-birth. God knows these burdens are too big for you and me. If we make these our goals, we might feel deeply unloved, overlooked, unheard. Some of us may even…
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Anne and I recently returned from a 2-month sabbatical. It was the third one I’ve had since being ordained, and in a word it was–epic. We ran and rested, biked and hiked and toured. I read and wrote extensively while Anne (a studio artist) sketched and painted. We spent time with our family and close…
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