There is a pattern I’ve noticed in life – you’ve likely noticed it too. Most folks of faith, professional or otherwise, often do. It’s this: when we’re headed in the right direction, coming closer to God, about to make a breakthrough for God’s kingdom… that’s usually when the spiritual warfare begins. We are attacked in whatever place we are the most vulnerable, and made to believe we are at our weakest. That there is no hope. That we dwell in a place of death, and that death is the final word. We are weak, and we are thus defeated. But the reality is, when we are weak, then Christ is strong. The Lord has said to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

We are just about halfway through Lent, a season of penitence, sacrifice, and reflection. Many of us take action on the sacrifice portion in giving something up as we reflect on Jesus giving up himself for us. The season of Lent offers us something deeper than just “giving something up”. It is an opportunity to not only sacrifice, but to draw closer to God through that sacrifice. This year for Lent, I decided to “give up” social media. On Ash Wednesday, I deleted the Facebook and Instagram apps off of my phone to help the cause. Prior to this Lenten season, I found myself starting my mornings and ending my evenings on my phone, scrolling and consuming content on social media. I felt like I w

I am so thankful to be your pastor! It is hard for me to believe that we have nearly finished up the first quarter of 2019. And yet spring is beginning to appear, not only in our natural surroundings, but in the life of our church family. Several ministries have just begun a new season: The Alpha course, A New Members Class, a Sunday morning Adult Sunday School on prayer and A new Wednesday evening study of the lives of the Apostles. However, today I want to celebrate the several things that happened among us in 2018. There are so many ways that I am thankful - today I will name three. First, our Commitment to the mission of Jesus. From a numerical perspective, last year we gave aw

When I was in seminary, I had a friend who created a ‘zine. If you don’t know, ‘zines are ramshackle, hand-made, homegrown, hand-xeroxed little magazines that give full creative control to the editor. They were usually free, and often distributed just by leaving them around in places where people would find them. My friend asked me to write for it – and I did. I was 24, and struggling mightily with what God wanted me to do. I was early on in an abusive marriage, and not yet sure of myself enough to stand up against that behavior. I was a mess. And yet, my friend thought my voice would be a good one to share with those seeking Jesus in one way or another. I wrote under the pen name, “Lucilla