Thanksgiving is a time of looking back and giving thanks to God. Advent is a time of looking forward and living into God's promised future. Below, I did a video on Advent and Thanksgiving in light of the recent shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs. https://youtu.be/pwnUqiZh-ic
Are We A Progressive Church?
Is First Christian a progressive congregation? The answer is complex.
Visit a Ragamuffin Church
We “church shop” just like we are buying cars. As I said, this doesn’t work well when it comes to finding a faith community, but this is how most people determine which church they are going to join.
Table Talk: It’s Enough
At the end of the day, we are enough. Gideon teaches us that we are enough because God is enough.
Finding God in the Drive-Thru Lane
Churches are shrinking, budgets are tightening, people are leaving...we spend time at conferences wondering what we can do to help our congregation grow. We should be asking what God is up to.
Sermon: “Better Living Through Grace”
Another sermon for this coming Sunday preached in 2005. Matthew 13:1-9,18-23, Romans 8:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-5,10-13 July 10, 2005 Community of Grace Christian Church St. Paul, MN When I was growing up in Michigan, I would always see these commercials on TV that made no sense to me. As most of you know, my... Continue Reading →
We Call Ourselves Disciples
My wife Jan and I have been members of First Christian Church of St. Paul for nearly 20 years. We love the congregational focus. We particularly embrace the dedication to the principles of wholeness and inclusiveness of the Disciples of Christ, that welcome everyone to the Communion Table with no exceptions. We have recently rededicated... Continue Reading →
Work with a Church Rising from the Ashes in Minnesota
The following is something I wrote on the First Christian website. As some of you know, First-St. Paul is down to a few faithful members. We are starting to venture forth into the community, but it would by helpful if we had a few more people. Share this with your friends. To contact me, go... Continue Reading →
Sermon: “When Love Comes to Town”
Matthew 21:1-11 and Phillipians 2:5-11 Palm Sunday April 13, 2014 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN If you were watching the recently concluded Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, you might have caught a commercial that has gone viral. It’s an ad for Cadillac and features a well-dressed man comparing hard-working, some might say overworked Americans to... Continue Reading →
Sermon: “You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance”
Genesis 12:1-4 and John 3:1-17 Second Sunday in Lent March 16, 2014 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN As a kid, I loved looking at maps. I still do love pouring over a map, but when I was younger, I could spend hours looking at a map. The Rand McNally map of the Interstate Highway System... Continue Reading →