I know, I know…it was a bit of a firehose. Pastor Julie and I were trying to cover a lot of ground in last Sunday’s team sermon on what it means to be “egalitarian.” (That is, a church that ordains both men and women to all offices of ministry.) This was the first of our […]
CHAPEL HILL’S DNA
These are the distinctive values or qualities that define us as a Christian community. If any of these things were missing, we wouldn’t be Chapel Hill. We believe there are nine pieces of Chapel Hill’s DNA, split into three groups: head, heart, and hands. What we believe, how we behave, and what we do. HEAD […]
Welcome to the world, Kennedy!
Kennedy Quinn Tesdahl, you are such a well-mannered baby! You knew that your daddy, Pastor Gunnar, had a big Easter Sunday to lead. So, very politely, you delayed your arrival until Tuesday at 12:46 pm; all six pounds and 10 ounces of you. Welcome to the world, Kennedy, and to your Chapel Hill family! We’ve […]
Memorial Day 2022
This year for Memorial Day, Chapel Hill member John Roberts conceived of an idea that we are putting into practice to honor the memories of those brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country, as well as their families and friends like you. Throughout the morning on May 29, we’ll […]
Running to the empty tomb
I know…I’ve shared this story before. But every Easter I am reminded of my most memorable visit to the empty tomb of Jesus. My son, Cooper, was 12 years old and had joined Cyndi and me on one of our tours to Israel 14 years ago. Our hotel was within walking distance of the Old […]
The week that changed forever
When I lead pilgrimages to the Holy Land, I often feel obliged to say something like, “We don’t know exactly where this occurred…but it’s somewhere near here.” Two thousand years of civilization has a way of changing the landscape! For instance, when you stand in front of the Western Wall (the Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem, […]
Presbywhatians?
Let’s admit it. We’ve got one of the least cool denominational names in Christendom. In fact, I’ll bet that half of you can’t even spell it. Go ahead, close your eyes and try spelling the “P” word. Presbyterian. There was a day when it carried weight…clout…gravitas. It was a badge of honor to be the […]