Back in 2009, I wrote a post called Why I Hate My Cats.  And Why I Love Them.  You can read about it here.But now, I neither hate them nor love them.  I just miss them.Over the last couple of months, one of them wandered away to die in the woods. She...

Yesterday was, well, eventful.First, I had the great privilege of preaching on a bible story that features inebriation, nekkedness, and the world's first moonwalk.  Called "After The Storm," the message came from Genesis 9:18-27, where Noah has an unfortunate...

I alluded to this on Tuesday . . . I can't wait for this Sunday's message.It comes from a biblical story that you have probably never heard used in a sermon.It leads to a question that all too many of us neglect to ask.I pray it brings healing to debris fields...

Psalm 19 is a glorious hymn that at first glance connects a theology of creation with a theology of worship:1 The heavens declare the glory of God;    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.2 Day after day they pour forth...

Good Shepherd Soccer Outreach 2013 Over the last week, 25 Good Shepherd volunteers spent five consecutive nights serving 75 children from two neighboring low income communities.   The children we served were as "full color" as our church is...

We've all seen these:And what's inside most of those illustrated children's bible tends to be a much-sanitized version of the real thing.By making Scripture palatable to pre-schoolers and pre-teens, we rob it of its wildness and unpredictability.Sometimes what...

In between Sunday, July 21 and Saturday, July 27, my wife Julie and I spent a vacation week at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with our 23-year-old daughter Taylor and 20 year-old-son Riley.Here's what the three of them looked like on a windy Friday night outside...

I have learned something recently that I think is worth sharing:What you listen to when you drive to work affects your mood when you get there.Now: I don't have a long drive to work in the morning.  But for years, I have been listening to sports talk radio for my...

One of Methodism's buzzwords is "inclusive."  We are to be, the thinking goes, an inclusive church.That includes (catch that?) the language we use about God.  You can read the denomination's perspective on gender-inclusive language here. Such gender...

Summertime is also movie time, which moves me to thinking.And as you know by now, I think in terms of "lists" and "tops."So what are the five movies that make me think "summer" more quickly than any others?Here goes:5.  Corvette Summer.  Never to be confused...