12/9/2025

One Sunday morning, I circled back to thank a dedicated usher. She had welcomed, greeted, escorted and cared for me on arrival, and she was in the sanctuary long after most departed, taking care of the sacred space. I thanked her.

12/8/2025

You can call them snowbirds or “seasonal visitors,” but they are often an untapped resource in many church communities.

These part-time residents typically exit their colder homes in the northern USA and head for sunnier, warmer, non-snow-shoveling second homes in warmer climes from November through March.

12/4/2025

Maybe it is too easy to memorize Micah 6:8b. It is not hard to memorize or turn into a cross-stitch piece, or to put on poster. It is the low hanging fruit of memory verses. Many will remember seeing Micah 6:6b on the wall in a grandmother’s kitchen. Some will still find it underlined or highlighted it in their study bible. Micah 6:6 in poster form in Sunday school classroom after classroom forever and ever and ever. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

11/14/2025

Many of you are reading this having made your way through another stewardship season and dedication Sunday. Some of you are energized by a hopeful and positive congregational response. Others of us are feeling anxious and defeated because, by all indications, difficult ministry decisions are going to have to be made in the months ahead. All of us find ourselves at the beginning of another Advent with its mix of joy and seemingly endless demands.

11/13/2025

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Mama always taught us to write a thank-you note…

Every year, non-profits send letters to donors to acknowledge gifts. But why stop there – why not use that typical form letter to establish or reaffirm a personal relationship?

You’re already spending the cost of an envelope and postage, so you might as well invest a few minutes to cement the connection.

11/12/2025

One of my childhood memories is late afternoon, Indiana, December 24. I would ask “Is it Christmas Eve?”

I was told to wait for sunset. When the light slanted and touched our backyard bare trees just so and then disappeared, I would know: it was Christmas.

Even as a child I learned to love the gathering dusk because it meant that time turned toward the next day and this turning was especially exciting on the 24^th! Our Christmas feasting started that evening with relatives and friends gathered for a festive meal before the 11 p.m. church service.

10/15/2025

The preacher should always wonder when the Revised Common Lectionary cuts and pastes when it comes to readings for the day. The preacher should wonder because one knows the members of the congregation who follow along in their bibles will most certainly read what the lectionary intentionally leaves out. When it comes to the first chapter of First Thessalonians what is cut from the assigned epistle reading for the first Sunday of November are the verses that tell of God’s judgment and vengeance. Judgment and vengeance described by Paul in apocalyptic proportions.

10/14/2025

From Sunday School, we learned that “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven … and the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

Today, we can take that approach to stewardship, because blessings follow those who give to help their church.

The Beatitudes were spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew, and also in the Sermon on the Plain, in Luke. They describe the character and attitudes valued in the Kingdom of Heaven and serve as a guide for living a Christian life. Key Beatitudes include blessings for the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and the peacemakers – and they are among the best-known Bible verses.

10/13/2025

Years ago, I read a story about a man who was required to change his password monthly at his work. He decided to make each month’s password into something that would reinforce a good habit. After all, he had to type the password several times a day, so why not make this an opportunity for personal growth?

During the first month, the password reminded him to forgive his ex-wife. Month two, it reminded him to quit smoking. The third month, he committed to saving for a trip to Thailand. All three worked for him.

9/22/2025

One of the Gospel texts for October is the familiar story of a widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). The story highlights the widow’s persistence and what she was able to accomplish despite the heavy odds that were stacked against her. Too often the judge gets credit for eventually overcoming his proclivity to injustice and doing the right thing. But did he really have a choice? The widow was persistent, but her persistence alone did not get the job done. It was her resourcefulness that eventually got the desired results. The Greek text suggests that the widow wore the judge down with her relentless pursuit of justice, but also by making him aware of the consequences of not doing the right thing (18:5).

9/17/2025

If your church waits until a few weeks before pledges are due to start talking about stewardship, they’ve missed a year of opportunity to prep the ask.

9/16/2025

Many of you find yourselves reading this in the midst of your church’s fall generosity campaign. It is that time of the year when many congregations take a look back at all that God has done even as you dream about the ministry in which you want to engage in the coming year, and how you might fund that ministry. What themes, stories, or pie graphs can you use to inspire a little more generosity in light of shrinking congregations, inflation, and deferred maintenance costs? We wonder, especially during our fall campaigns, “How do we create, cultivate, and/or inspire generosity?”