Ok, so it was for TribLocal and we wrote the story ourselves. But it was the featured story for a while! That counts for something, right? Anyway, it looks a little something like this: Did you know there are as many as 27 million slaves in the world right now? Woodridge United Methodist Church …
Called to care for those at the margins
I had my usual for breakfast: a bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal with raisins. (I prefer it with blueberries or raspberries though.) No word on what President Obama - or anyone else present - had for breakfast at this morning's National Prayer Breakfast. (Not that I looked that hard, mind you. And by "not …
Well said! – Abolitionist edition
8-year-old me: "Dad, why is there a Mother's Day and a Father's Day, but no Kid's day?" My Dad: "Because every day is Kid's day." It's an old joke, and it's just true enough to be a little funny. It can never be more than a little funny though, because, for the estimated 13-15 million …
#EndDemand in order to #EndSlavery
"I’m not seeing a lot of cases where there’s not coercion,” she added. “The average age where a girl is forced into prostitution is 12 to 14. And most of these 16- or 17 year-olds are being run by pretty vicious pimps." National Human Trafficking Prevention Month is winding down, but the actual work of …
“Those to whom much is given, much is expected”
Maybe it's because 6+ years into this parenting thing, every laugh, every joke, every hand held, every kiss given, every "Daddy, watch me do this!" still melts my heart. Or maybe it's because of 16+ years (and counting) spent as a pastor working with, talking with, listening to, dreaming with, consoling, encouraging, praying with, praying …
Continue reading “Those to whom much is given, much is expected”
Jonah, Jesus & Us: Jan. 22 sermon “Changing Speech, Speaking Change”
I always feel inadequate when it comes to posting my sermons. Most all the blogging pastors I know are great at posting brilliant manuscripts, and most of them manage to do so by early Sunday morning. Meanwhile, I usually don't have a manuscript. But that's ok because I think sermons are auditory (and visual) events …
Continue reading Jonah, Jesus & Us: Jan. 22 sermon “Changing Speech, Speaking Change”
“Rise up, early” to #endslavery
I'm in the midst of planning a screening of the documentary, Call + Response, at my church. National Human Trafficking Prevention Month will be over by the time we show the film on February 15. But, at risk of being cliché, any time is a good time to fight slavery. While exact figures are exceedingly …
Listen to Amos, #endhunger
“...Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” We read those inspiring, challenging words from the prophet Amos this past Sunday. It certainly is a beautiful image - justice, as strong as the tide rolling in yet as refreshing as a cool stream, coming for those in need. But for we …
2011 Favorites – Picture & Post
It's basically mid January, high time to be done with this little retrospective series. (Previous entries were movies, music, and - believe it or not - hockey goal.) This post during my week as guest blogger at The Hardest Question was my most viewed post of the year. But I think this post was my …
“We will work with each other, we will work side by side”
"I'm praying for you." I must admit that far too often when I say those words to people experiencing pain, loss, grief, despair, they sound trite. Even though I mean it. Even though I'm actually praying for the person and the situation, I don't know how to say those words without sounding rote and insincere. …
Continue reading “We will work with each other, we will work side by side”
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 