Sometimes the “yes” takes you by surprise. I’ve been praying for my little brother for years and we’ve had countless spiritual conversations over those years. But as you know if you have a family member or a friend like that, you grow used to their rejection and even if you continue to share, you don’t […]
Elders of Chapel Hill
In Chapel Hill’s denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), there are typically three offices in the church: Ministers of the Word (Teaching Elders, Pastors), Ruling Elders, and Deacons. Elders share authority with the Pastors, representing the mind of Christ as they understand it in the various courts of the church, watch over the spiritual welfare […]
An Incredible Hire!
Five years ago, I began to think seriously about my retirement date and the process of transition. I wanted to do all I could to ensure a smooth handoff of leadership to the next Senior Pastor. But I was also aware of several key administrative leaders on our staff who are of my “vintage” and […]
My Last Easter as Your Senior Pastor
I still remember my first Easter at Chapel Hill. It was April 3, 1988. (I didn’t actually remember the date! I had to look that up.) We were worshipping in what we now call the Memorial Chapel. Chapel Hill offered three services and packed the place out with more than 700 in attendance regularly. It […]
Journeying Through Holy Week: Unveiling the Heart of the Gospel
This week, we embark on the journey we call Holy Week. We gather in a variety of ways to follow our Lord Jesus in his final days. For those of us who have been Christians for some time, it can be easy to forget the significance of each of the days that we celebrate as […]
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Did I wake up in a strange new world?
I love Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Not only because Carroll and I studied the same degree at the same school, but because I think Alice’s story is a parable for the world in which we now find ourselves. Over the past 50 years, perhaps even over the past 15 years, it feels like […]
Discover deeper love
This past week, something occurred that will only happen three times this century: Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fell on the same day. Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent, a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and generosity that ends at sundown on Maundy Thursday. Valentine’s Day is, of course, that made-up holiday intended to […]
What makes a Mexico trip life-changing?
When facing a new experience, are you more likely to dive in or dip your toe? “Dive in!” is the theme for our high school global outreach team leaving for Mexico one week from today. We were inspired by God’s promise to Isaiah: Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do […]
Expressing our hearts to the Lord
“Corporate worship is a weekly event that God uses to shape our people’s souls over the course of decades.” This quote is why our worship together as a church family, week after week, is so valuable to me! Our services…the songs we sing, the prayers we offer, the Word preached…are not only an opportunity to […]
Created for wonder: how to recapture wonder in your life
Sunday’s Coming! “Judas.” The name is synonymous with betrayal. Brutus, Fawkes, Arnold, Quisling…all world-class traitors in their own right, must bow before the height of treachery perpetrated by a disciple whom Jesus called “friend.” We are told “Satan entered Judas.” Did that mean he was possessed? Did he have any choice? How could one who spent three years […]
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