“I feel like I’m having a conversation here with two people!” she said. I was doing it again. Sending a text message to a friend when my wife was talking to me. Been there? In today’s world, one of the greatest gifts we can give other people is our undivided attention. The apps on your […]
Three things to do during our mid-term
Recently, someone introduced my kids to an updated version of “slug bug,” replacing VW Bugs with Teslas. Unfortunately, our community is significantly affluent that this results in one of them hitting the other every 30 seconds. So, I decided to change the game. Instead of hitting each other when they see a Tesla, I invited […]
Why dwell upon death?
One of the biggest differences between my homeland, the UK, and the US is where people are buried. In the UK, graves are primarily located around the exterior of churches, rather than exclusively in designated cemeteries, like in the US. On our recent trip, our kids were fascinated with these church graveyards. They loved to […]
Is God speaking to you?
While in the UK this summer I visited the Isle of Iona, where Saint Columba and his band of monks landed in the 6th-century and proceeded to set up a monastery from which they not only evangelized Scotland but also carried on the monastic tradition of copying and illuminating biblical manuscripts. The most famous of […]
How to make your voice heard
Of the many things I have reflected upon since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the thing that has struck me most is that she kept quiet more often than not. Undoubtedly, she had an opinion on many things, whether political policies, climate change, or even her personal opinions about others. Yet, she refrained from […]
Can I get re-baptized?
What was the date you were baptized? My date was March 19, 1989. I had several photos but I didn’t have the date. It didn’t take place in my home town, as the local priest would only perform the ceremony if the family attended the church. So, we went to my grandfather’s church, St. Augustine’s […]
What are you giving up for Lent?
I’ve given up candy, dessert, alcohol, second portions of dinner, playing video games, checking social media and various other things for lent over the years. I’ve also taken up new practices, like praying for an hour daily, or reading through the whole Bible in Lent. But what is Lent and why do people give things […]
What it’s like to be an exile
“What’s it like, living in a country that isn’t your own?” That was the question I was asked as our pastoral team began studying a new book called Faith for Exiles. If you didn’t know, I grew up in a “green and pleasant land,” as the old hymn goes, namely, England. For more than a […]
How to grow in prayer
Every year I set myself some goals, and one of my goals for 2021 was to read 12 books on prayer. I had a real desire to go beyond the typical prayer list and grow in greater intimacy and depth with my relationship to the Father through prayer. Last week, I completed book 12 of […]
Take us with you
Earlier this year, I walked off the stage at our modern service and into the band room. As I did, I took out my headphones (you wouldn’t believe what the band hears in our headphones when we are leading worship—check out this video if you want to know), and I began to hear music playing […]