I have to share with you a story from this week. Who was here when Troy Wilson, the San Francisco church planter was here at Chapel Hill? They just gathered for their first worship service two Sundays ago! They are calling their church The Table in recognition that everyone is welcome. Also, San Francisco people […]
Marijuana in Gig Harbor
We are all aware of the recent decision of our state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. It would not surprise you to hear that I think this is a foolish and destructive decision. And I suspect that the early, frightening reports coming out of Colorado of the damaging effects of easily-available marijuana are only the […]
Life Lessons from the Bar Cart
On this Thursday before Mother’s Day during a season when I am preaching on “work,” I thought I’d share with you some ramblings from our daughter, Rachel, who turned Cyndi into a mother and me into a father 21 years ago. She graduates next weekend from Whitworth and is headed to Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts […]
I Struck Another Nerve!
A few weeks back I blogged about our upcoming sermon series on the topic of work. The first half of the series will be called “Blue Collar God” and the second, “Undercover Boss.” I asked for your input on this topic and, wow, did I shake a tree! Obviously and understandably, you are interested. And […]
I Like My Church Quiet
The first thing we built after my arrival at Chapel Hill in 1987 was our gymnasium and Christian Education Wing. That wasn’t our original plan. It wasn’t long before we were worshiping in three services and considering a fourth. We needed a larger sanctuary and first drafted plans to expand the Memorial Chapel. But even […]
Team Devotions in Guatemala
The Guatemala GO-team met in the mornings before breakfast to share God’s word. We found the devotional time to be rich in grounding the team for the day and essential in guiding our actions. The focus of each day was perfect for us. Our devotion time began with Praise Songs and group prayer. Saturday, April 5: Phil […]
The Condemned’s Last Meal
Two years ago I heard the news of the death of Michael Clarke Duncan, the mountain of a man who played John Coffey, the strangely-gifted convict on death row in the superb movie, The Green Mile. That idea of “Death Row”—a gathering place of the condemned, the Green Mile, the last stretch of green linoleum leading to […]
Palm Sunday in Antigua
Sunday, April 13, 2014 Just a quick note to let you know that all is well for the team. Antigua celebrations for Palm Sunday have been colorful with 5 hour parade routes through the city streets by a variety of churches. The colorful street carpets are everywhere, then destroyed as the parade walks through them. Moriah even […]
Church, Bibles & a Big Celebration!
Friday, April 11, 2014 This day began with a strong sense of anticipation. The outdoor church service will happen today. Moriah’s devotion of Ephesians 1:2-4 prepared us for the day. 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus […]
Nah, angel. I think I’ll pass…
As we approach Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, I want to jump ahead to Easter for a moment. When Mary and the other women showed up at the empty tomb, they were met by an angel who announced that Jesus was alive. Then he said, “…go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has […]