9/18/2026

Remember as a child when every once in a while you’d get an ice cream sundae and someone would add an extra cherry or maybe another dollop of chocolate sauce? Not anything you asked for, it was just an added treat?

9/14/2026

In both church and seminary offices where I have served, there are bulletin boards where important regulations and policies are posted. The documents concern employee safety and rights regarding discrimination. They are really important, but I’m fairly sure no one (including me) has ever stood there and read them.

In many places in our country, there are furious debates about posting the Ten Commandments in the classrooms of all public educational institutions or on monuments on the lawns of courthouses or capital buildings.  For most of those advocating these laws, I think the Ten Commandments symbolize something beyond their actual content. But if I am right that few of us actually read bulletin boards, perhaps this strategy won’t accomplish much. This makes it all the more important that we reflect in worship on what the Ten Commandments (what the Law or Torah) are actually about.

9/10/2026

In the first chapter of the Letter to Philippians, in a manner characteristic of his writing elsewhere, the Apostle Paul expresses his incredible gratitude for the Church in Philippi and their partnership in the Gospel:

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

8/19/2026

Ahhh, autumn … football games, maybe leaves changing colors, a break from summer’s heat, and gearing up for your church’s Fall Stewardship Campaign.

While the Presbyterian Foundation often advises churches to keep stewardship in mind and discussed year-round, the reality is that most congregations prepare for a push each fall, so we’re writing today with that in mind.

8/17/2026

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

As we move into the fall season here in the northern hemisphere, often our inboxes and newsfeeds begin to be filled with messages around the theme of gratitude.  I personally love the yearly opportunity to focus on giving thanks to God and have always relished a season dedicated to practices of gratitude.

8/14/2026

When it comes to “grumbling” in the gospels, as in “they grumbled against the landowner,” when it comes to “grumbling,” it is surprising how little “grumbling” there is in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

I am referring specifically to the word “grumble” and its variations in the Greek New Testament. If I did homework correctly, I couldn’t find any grumbling in Mark at all. Maybe with Mark being so short, the gospel writer just couldn’t be bothered with “grumbling.” In John, the Jewish leaders “grumbled” in response to Jesus’s announcement that he was the bread of life. According to John, those leaders “began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” The word translated complain comes from the same word for grumble. Luke has the most “grumbling.”

7/17/2026

How a Virginia church helps people share their connections to God via notes in the offering

What happens when you add a fourth “T” – testimony – to the traditional three Ts of stewardship, time, talent and treasure (or tithe)?

7/15/2026

Forever is one of those words that I can never fully wrap my head around. As a child, it seemed like there were many things that lasted forever. Waiting for the end of the school year seemed eternal. Having to stay inside when it rained for days on end was agonizing. Worst of all were the multiple hours spent in the backseat on the way to the beach. No matter how many times I asked, “Are we there yet?” time just stood still on the highway.

6/10/2026

We can learn a lot about stewardship campaigns by reframing a question to shift perspective and results.

It’s a bit like seeing challenges as opportunities.

6/9/2026

The car was packed and I was nearly ready to leave for a work trip. I paused at the door, doing that familiar last-minute scan of the house before heading out. My last task was to bring the dogs in from the backyard.

I stepped onto the porch and gave a whistle. That’s when I spotted an extra wiggly figure beyond the fence. Luna, our neighbor’s puppy from down the street, was joyfully darting back and forth. Her owners were nowhere in sight. Apparently, Luna made a great escape, choosing the most inconvenient moment to come looking for a playdate.

6/8/2026

When we use the word stewardship in the church, it is often in the Fall and we are talking about budgets, pledge cards, and financial campaigns. While generosity with financial resources is certainly part of stewardship, the biblical vision of stewardship is much broader and deeper. Stewardship is really about discipleship; it is about how we cultivate our lives, our communities, our relationships, and our faithfulness in response to God’s grace.

5/18/2026

How many churches put their stewardship and capital campaigns on autopilot once the “system” is in place?

It’s easy to grow complacent as long as the results are stable. But when church membership drops (COVID, industry relocating, a change in ministers) suddenly the cash flow changes.