

half-right
What if you made 50 out of 100 on a test? Or McDonalds got half your order correct? Or someone only paid you half of what they owed you? Would you be ok with that? And yet… What I see is that WE the Church have been getting “pure religion” only half right. What do I mean by that? James 1:27 states this: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Wow! Th


WE the Church
My new favorite phrase: “WE the Church” !+ If this is true, that you and I are the “WE”--then I am deeply hopeful about the state of the Church. As I speak to different groups I realize that there are a whole lot of “WE” out there that are still showing up, standing up, and speaking up about the love and power of God in our lives in spite of troublesome times. There are even people still joining the Church! Hallelujah! (Pictured above is my very own daughter Emma who had a "


bridge over troubled water
What a strange way to signify we believe in an all powerful God. I wear one around my neck (tucked into my blouse, next to my heart :). I bless myself each day before and after praying by making the sign of the cross and I even collect them and place them around my home. But how strange it all is. Is it not the ultimate sign of death, defeat and shame--not a sign of life and victory? “By signing ourselves with the Cross, we place ourselves under the protection of the Cross, h


gulps of good
Feel like you’re being “held under”? Need a big gulp of fresh air? With all the tragedy taking place in the Church--crimes, cover-ups and accusations-- it can feel as if we are drowning in bad news. But Jesus states, “...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) And so I’m fasting, praying and clinging to this promise! In my day to day life, when I get tempted to be discouraged by these stormy seas, this is how I’m dealing with it: I’m taking heal