Spur of the moment—the time was set aside for sermon preparation, but I wrote this instead. It made sense, given all the questions swirling in my brain at that moment: “Can I spend $$$$$$$ on a remodel? It’s just supply and demand, right?” “How reasonable it is to buy four more strands of Christmas lights?”; […]
We really missed you!
“Welcome back, Pastor Mark. We really missed you…but we really didn’t miss you!” That was one of the welcomes I received when Cyndi and I returned from our sabbatical. And I understand…and am DELIGHTED…with what I know they meant by that. They love me and are glad to see me. AND…they are telling me that […]
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 […]
You’ve got two options!
Starting this Sunday, Chapel Hill Port Orchard is worshipping at 9:30 AND 11:00am! Why would a small church add a second service? Because we are a church for our neighbors, seeking God’s shalom in our neighborhoods… And we’ve run out of room for our neighbors! May this never be! This Sunday we had two or three seats […]
Membership has privileges
I wonder how many of you have signed up for a free trial of something and then forgot to cancel it. Maybe it was an app or a magazine. I was talking to a friend who told me that her son is the member of a gym in Arizona, but he lives in Washington. I […]
Hurry up and slow down already
“Yala, Yala!” I can hear a co-worker enticing us to transition into a meeting. “Pali-Pali!” I can hear a professor teaching us about Korean culture to get moving. “Let’s go!” I can hear myself calling out to my family from the garage just about any day. It’s human nature, right? Productive. Efficient. Multi-tasking. These attributes rank high as points of praise for employees, students, and kids alike. […]
Trick or Treaty?
Last Halloween my family and I were on a Pokémon kick. We’d played a lot of the video game and the trading card game during the lockdown and so we dressed up as Pokémon. Ezra was Pikachu, Evelyn was Eevee (go figure), and Rachel and I were Pokémon trainers. We had a great time at the Candy […]
What is my Origin Story?
My paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants to London in the late 1940s. They ran pubs all across west London, including their very first pub being at the end of the driveway to Holy Trinity Brompton, the church where Alpha originated. My grandmother returned to Ireland 30 years ago, and lives on a farm in the […]
Why are we so divided?
“Why is half the church made of cinder block, and the other half red brick?” That was the question a friend of mine asked his father, who had just taken a call as the pastor of the church in question. The church sanctuary was literally split down the middle with half of the room made […]