8/4/2025

As Presbyterians we know the importance of being involved in the local and national church. There is a lot of joy that comes from being part of committees that help us to connect with other colleagues from different parts of the country. It is also a demanding experience because of the countless hours of meetings, conversations, decisions to be made, material to read and planning involved.

7/2/2025

When I was growing up, the 4^th of July was a sacred holiday. Both of my parents served in World War II – they even met in the Army! It was clear that peace was not something to take for granted. So we celebrated – attending our town’s parade in the morning, and watching fireworks at night.

And in between, we would drive to the Armenian Congregational Church’s annual picnic. I loved watching the old people play backgammon, the men grill kebab, the women serve their hand-made baklava. It never dawned on me that they were celebrating peace too; so many of them had escaped the genocide.

5/29/2025

Overwhelmed by the needs of our congregations. Outnumbered by the needs of our communities. Dismayed by the dysfunction of our democracy. Outwitted by the monumental — if not existential — questions facing the future for many churches. Outmatched by what may seem like the Sisyphean task of trying to be a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year, volunteer coordinator-social worker-scholar-preacher-cheerleader-mop-up-specialist.

4/29/2025

Earlier this year, an instrumental pastor of mine, Rev. Dr. Mike Landreth, passed away suddenly. Since his death, I have been reflecting on our conversations — from when I was a young teen to when he spoke at my very own service of ordination over a decade later. I have been cherishing his wise counsel as I remember him and our time together.

Throughout my decade in ministry as a pastor, I’ve often wondered what constitutes “enough.” How does a pastor know when they are done with work for the day? How far should pastors go in helping to remedy the relentless brokenness of the world?

4/4/2025

Have you ever wondered why God has called you to a particular place of ministry? Are there particular pieces of ministry God has called you to do in a particular time/place? Sometimes we may never get an answer to that question, or perhaps we get it upon reflection, after the fact. But sometimes, we get a sense of understanding while we are still present, and wow is it a gift!

3/3/2025

I heard an expert in biomimicry talk about the healing that happens in nature. As she described it, when there is trauma to land — for instance, through a landslide or when land is clear cut — the first wave of species that comes in are “weed species.” These are plants whose job it is to quickly come in and cover the land. Their roots don’t go deep, they simply cover the ground to soften the soil and put nutrients into the ground.

1/31/2025

By February, I have about had it. Winter in Western Pennsylvania can sometimes do that to a person. It feels like day after day of gray skies, frigid temperatures, mounds of snow in the parking lot with a grocery cart at the top that some prankster has managed to get up the 12 foot mound. The groundhog invariably predicts six more weeks of winter.

1/6/2025

In November 2016, the puddle-jumper airplane touched down at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport in the booming metropolis of Grand Island. If you’ve never heard of Grand Island, don’t worry, neither had I until I booked the ticket. I got off the plane and set foot in Nebraska for the first time in my life. Members of the pastoral nominating committee of First Presbyterian Church of Hastings picked me up and drove me 45 minutes through cornfields to the city of Hastings, population 25,000, where I would interview to become their senior pastor. Not only was this a new state and a new cultural context for me, I was also a bit naïve and wet behind the ears, this would be my first time serving in a senior pastor role.

11/27/2024

We all love a good story, don’t we? A well-crafted narrative with a satisfying arc, leading us from darkness to light, despair to hope. As pastors, we’re often drawn to these kinds of stories, especially during Advent. The promise of a Savior, the birth of a child who would change the world — it’s a beautiful and inspiring tale.

Recently I was preparing a sermon on a familiar passage. I was to be a guest preacher for a congregation and I had chosen the text based on the lectionary. It seemed like the perfect text to foreshadow the season of Advent — a tale of hope rising from despair whose ending will lead the way to the birth of the messiah to come.

11/1/2024

When Hurricane Helene hit Asheville, North Carolina it took almost 36 hours to hear from my sister and more than 48 hours to receive word on my parents. I don’t live in that part of the country, so there was nothing I could do other than wait and pray. Those long hours of unknowing grew steadily with low-grade anxiety.  Waiting, I tried to calm myself by speculating that I would have heard if they had been evacuated or rescued. They were probably just fine and were stuck in the house with no power, no cell service. I imagined that Dad wouldn’t want the ice cream to go to waste, so he was probably making milkshakes for neighbors before it all melted. This was, in fact, exactly what happened.

10/7/2024

She was desperate, disillusioned, and distraught. To make matters worse, she was down to nothing. She is known as the widow of Zarephath, and all she had left was a handful of flour and a little olive oil in a jar. With just enough flour and oil for one last meal, there is no telling what would have happened to her and her son if God had not sent Elijah to Zarephath.

Why Zarephath? Of all the places God could have sent Elijah, why Zarephath? In Hebrew, Zarephath means “refinery”. Is it possible that God sent Elijah to Zarephath, the refining place, to prepare Elijah for the next season of his life? I believe so. In my experience, I’ve discovered that God uses seasons of refining to prepare us for what’s to come in our lives.

8/29/2024

One of the best parts of a minister’s package is the line item for “professional expenses” and the ability to get a magazine or newspaper subscription or the latest preaching or worship resource. These days it’s easy—maybe, too easy—to find resources for anything for ministry—everything from spiritual practices like around self-care, worship books for liturgy, ready-made packages for curriculum for children and youth, making administration less agonizing, and learning about the usefulness of the enneagram for one’s organization. So many wonderful people are sharing from the depth of their own lives and experiences. It’s hard not to one-click buy-now everything.