6/13/2024

“Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

Presbyterians need to get serious about joy — yes, joy.

Our faith tradition does many things well. We are scholarly students of the Bible and theological tradition. Our worship is rich and thoughtful in its construction. While imperfect, our way of organizing the church’s governance is a gift to the world.

6/12/2024

In Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary, the majority of the gospel passages come from Mark, particularly during this season after Pentecost. It is helpful to remember the context of the gospel of Mark as we read these stories. Most scholars believe that Mark was the first gospel that was written, and it dates to 30-40 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was likely written by an author living in an early Christian community in Rome, and that community would have been experiencing some persecution, and would also have been hearing about the exploits of the Roman army subduing the Jewish rebellions in the Holy Land. Mark was likely writing within and to a gentile Christian community, so we don’t find things like a birth narrative, genealogies, or as many explicit connections to the Old Testament as we find in Matthew.

5/20/2024

The Gospel lections for June 2024 are from the Gospel according to Mark. In the characteristic form of the book of Mark, Jesus Christ traveled from place to place, an itinerant preacher/healer who breathlessly encountered young and old, healthy and ill, rich and poor, the lawgivers and the law rebels. The book’s account is a rapid-fire succession of one scene after another. The overall sense is of the Savior on the move, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, on a mission to disclose the presence and power of the kingdom of God. But it was a disclosure in its nascent stage, the fullness of which awaited the resurrection.

5/17/2024

I love the outdoors in any season, but in spring and early summer, with the wildflowers blooming and the mosquitos and other bugs not yet out in full force, I find myself out in the woods more than other times of the year. Whether I’m on a day hike, canoeing a river, or on a multi-day backpacking trip, I enjoy being largely unplugged from technology and taking time to soak in the natural beauty of God’s creation.

5/16/2024

When I got married in the mid-1990s, writing thank-you notes was the next step after coming home from our honeymoon. I got the requisite cards with our initials on the front in frilly script, grabbed a pen, and stared at them.

I wasn’t quite sure what to write. At that time, I was a newspaper reporter. I was afraid all of my notes would say something like: Breaking news! Salad spinner received by local couple.

4/22/2024

In his excellent book Accompany Them with Singing, Tom Long notes that Christian Funerals are always telling two stories at the same time. The first story is the obvious one—the story of a death, the death of someone known and loved, along with all the details of separation and pain that accompany such a loss. When it comes to this first story, the Church’s task is to acknowledge the “sheer facts” and to do so with care and love.

4/19/2024

The Number One myth of planned giving is that it’s only for the wealthy, those who can leave their church with a gift of hundreds of thousands of dollars when they die.

4/18/2024

How and where did your stewardship journey begin? Throughout the years, I have listened with awe and reverence as church members have shared stories of grandmothers who made sure dimes and quarters were ready to be placed in church offering plates; mothers and fathers who sat down to talk about budgets, tithing, and giving as an act of gratitude. Witnesses powerful and mighty, establishing generations of faithful stewards, worthy of sharing.

3/12/2024

After all, we really can’t a expect committee to lead their congregation with stewardship efforts if they aren’t sure what the word actually means. As you may suspect, the responses to my question usually vary – some will mostly focus on the financial obligation of supporting one’s church, while others will focus more on the caring of all of God’s creation. [Spoiler alert – I tend to prefer definitions that are more similar to the latter, tending to all that God has placed in our care – time, talent, and treasure]

3/8/2024

Giving our time, talent and treasure are basics to church stewardship, but we often focus on writing a check or donating money online when the “Stewardship Committee” puts out the call.

2/12/2024

Our faith tells us that God’s grace is free and unmerited and that our call is to respond with gratitude that overflows with generosity. Generosity that doesn’t keep score.

2/9/2024

Cutting back the veil of mystery and making stewardship campaigns do-able for even the smallest churches helped drive creation of the Stewardship Navigator website five years ago.