When I was in 2nd grade I had an amazing teacher. One day she heard news that an endangered bird called “the Whooping Crane” was spotted...

We are all “in-between”.  In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul writes this: “cr eation has been groaning as in the pains of...

I've been reading a great book called "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is a beautiful story of a family from India who move to the...

I’ve always loved baseball. But my relationship with baseball has had some ups and downs in my life. As a little kid I remember yearning...

If you know anything about me, you will know this: I absolutely love Palm Sunday. Part of this comes from my adoration for our friend the...

I am so excited! This morning, I got a call and someone from our church wants to be baptized! Isn’t that wonderful?!?!  If there’s one...

BEFORE YOU READ PLEASE CLICK HERE AND WATCH THIS VIDEO I've been reading Danielle Shroyer's book "Original Blessing" and some things she...

Ok, truth be told, I love the Seattle Mariners, but that’s not why Cyndy and I try to go to Peoria, Arizona every 3 years. Actually, I...

When I was a young pastor, one of my favorite jobs was being the associate pastor at a large United Methodist church in Mitchell, SD. I...

My brother, Erin, on a trip to Kenya with family I’ve been a little more than worried about my brother, Erin, lately. Erin is my next...

Did any of you catch it? No not the super bowl! I mean, let’s face it, that was a huge disappointment. No, no, no. I’m talking about the...

How do we keep loving the world in such an unloving time? What I find to be important in these times is to develop a ritual of self-care....

(Note: the insight for this writing comes from a wonderful colleague of mine, Rev. Janelle Kurtz. I want to thank her for her amazing...

One of my favorite stories to tell is a story told by a D.S. friend of mine, Rev. Boyd Blumer. For those of you who don’t know the United...

In times like this, I find it helpful to read about other folks who are in similar situations.  During the 1930’s our country was going...

Every once in a while, light comes to us not as a slow sleepy sunrise, but as a meteor.   Jack London, in his amazing quote, put it best...

I’ve never been a touchy/feely guy. As your pastor, I think you should probably be thankful for that.  When I give a hug, I almost always...

Some doors are made of wood   And some of fear.              Inside, you hear             The knocking, wonder: Should  ...

This morning I share a writing by Steve Charleston from his book, “Hope as Old as Fire”. “The Christmas manger, the sentimental scene,...

My favorite part of Christmas day as a kid wasn’t the presents, believe it or not, it was all the McBride’s—all 10 of us—piling into the...