Prepare for Worship

Hey Church! This verse was on my mind today: “…God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance…” (Rom. 2:4) It would be unusual to find an earthly boss, parent, or any other form of leader who led their people to do the right thing, not by a stern application of rules but by inexhaustible kindness. How strange would that be to us? But the fact that God leads…

Hello Rio! When I was a kid, my dad was often amazed at how quickly his four sons destroyed new things. We routinely heard the line: “This is why we can’t have nice things.” One time, my brother Matt lost a new pair of shoes in the ditch behind our house after they were swallowed by the deep mud. For years to come, any question about the location of an object was met with…

Hello Rio! How would you respond if I told you that the scientific and academic communities had discovered that a simple habit could provide you with stunning physical and mental health benefits? No injections required. No prescriptions necessary. This simple practice has existed for thousands of years. In the last few decades, several major universities, government…

Hey, Church! This week I have been thinking a lot about gratitude. I need more of it in my life. Anxieties about the future? Yep, I’ve got plenty of those. Frustrations with present life circumstances? Check! A list of blessings a mile long? Well, I don’t think about that list quite as often. But the Spirit reminded me this week that that list is immeasurably longer and,…

Hey, Church! We will have the privilege and joy of sharing a communion meal this Sunday! To prepare our hearts and minds to receive the bread and wine (or, cracker and juice) with sincerity and faith, I thought it would be appropriate to focus this weekend’s meditation on the significance of that sacrament. To do that, I want to diverge from my usual talking points on the…