Faith in the Cracks

We all have choices to make in life. We decide what to wear, what to eat, who to hang out with, and what we want to do with life among the hundreds of decisions we make each day. Sometimes the choices are based on what we prefer - like red or green grapes.  Choices can be based on the weather. It's cold so perhaps I should wear a coat and maybe it is a better day to do something indoors. Yet...

A couple weeks ago on my podcast I used a phrase that I grew up with. Low man on the totem pole. I had a friend message me to say that could be an offensive phrase and that we use it in a way that is backwards to its actual meaning. I apologize if I offended anyone, that was never my intent. I have been reading and learning about the tradition of the totem pole with First Nations people of the Pac...

Veggie Tales made a full length movie in 2002 of Jonah. In the movie, there is a gospel number called  Second Chances . It is a reminder to Jonah that it is not to late to obey God. This is demonstrated in other stories in the Bible as well. I also saw this in the community. The East Hill Singers  is a men's choir that was founded in 1996. Inmates from the minimum security unit at the Lansing...

Psalm 23 is a familiar text for many who grew up in the church. It is often used at funerals or to comfort those who are grieving. Take a look at it again and find some of the meanings missed in the English translation. Goodness and mercy don't just follow us, they pursue us and chase us. God wants us to have what we need and wants to walk beside us and guide us through life. Live into the ab...

In the 1990s Robert Fulghum wrote a book entitled "Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." The poem he uses covers a lot of ground and is made very easy to understand like we do with kids. Clean up after yourself. Don't take things that aren't yours. Yet it seems that we forget the simple things as we age.  The Gospel of Luke chapter 24 provides a basic pattern...

It has been a busy 6 weeks on my calendar. Lots of traveling and lots of emotionally charged moments. All of it has been meaningful, yet, I am weary. Physically tired from travel. Mentally tired from the thought that has gone into things. Emotionally tired from all the human interactions and emotional highs and lows. Spiritually tired because 2 celebrations of life, a wedding, and Holy Week take a...

Many of us played a game as children called Follow the Leader. Good leaders made the game fun and silly. Bad leaders could get us into trouble. Even as adults, good leaders and bad leaders take us to different places.  The Easter text from the Gospel of Mark reminds us that Jesus goes ahead of us, so we are to follow. Follow Jesus, you have been invited to go.  Support the show

Palm Sunday, many churches wave palm branches and shout Hosanna. We have a celebratory parade atmosphere, but when we do this, do we miss the subversive side of the story? As the Passover festival is beginning, Pilate and Rome would make a show of power and parade with legions of soldiers and Pilate on a war horse or in a chariot to remind the people who was in charge.  Meanwhile, Jesus comes into...

Just as the mythical bird, the Phoenix, dies and is reborn from the ashes, we to face opportunities to die to ourselves and become new creations. There are times in life when we must "level up" and go through change or other hard things like grief, and when we get to the other side, we find that we are no longer the same. We too can rise from the ashes.  Support the show

It is a verse seen at sporting events through the years. For God so loved the world. It is a reminder that God loves us. All of us. Whenever you see it. Remember that you are loved. To believe is to have the promise of eternal life. Whether you have been a believer all your life or are new, God loves you! Support the show

The 10 Commandments was made into a movie about Moses bringing these words from God to the people as they came out of Egypt. There have been court battles about whether or not to have the 10 Commandments posted in schools or at courthouses. In 1980 the Supreme Court ruled to take the 10 Commandments out of schools on the grounds of religious freedom.  These however are rules that we need to revisi...

I went back to Eisenhower Elementary where I taught for a decade. The school celebrated 50 years. I was very much shaped and formed by my time as a teacher there. The school has been an influence on many others as well which could be seen and felt during the celebration with over 1000 people in attendance.  The Cougar community stretches far and wide and it was a great reminder that finding a comm...

This past Wednesday was Valentines Day. It was also Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent. And it was for people in Kansas City the Super Bowl Victory Parade. A day of joy and celebration quickly turned to one of horror as gun shots rang out as the ceremonies concluded. KC STRONG merchandise has come out. There have been pictures taken of KC STRONG spelled out in folding chairs around...

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, to see who is the best NFL team. If you think about winning teams and those who are always contending for titles, it seems like some stay on the mountain top. However, just like those who summit Mt Everest must turn and descend, no one can stay on the mountain top.  This past Sunday was Transfiguration Sunday, the Sunday before Lent begins. Tranfiguration is about...

We are in a time when many people are celebrating Mardi Gras. A time of parties, parades, beads, masks, and indulging in rich food and drink. However, this celebration has ties to the Christian church. Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday was a time to get the oils and fats out of the house before Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the season of Lent.  Enjoy the celebration, but think through what are...

Even our souls can feel like they are out of gas or have run out of battery life. Weariness is more than just feeling run down or feeling like you need a nap. Weariness is about our souls feeling tired, about running on empty. In the 10 commandments God gave us the Sabbath. Jesus took time away to rest and to pray. We need that time too. Whether in nature or sitting to read the Bible, our souls ne...

I grew up in the 1980's and I remember reading Choose Your Own Adventure books. Stories that could take you anywhere and you had the power to choose what happened. Sometimes the consequences were awful and sometimes you reaped the rewards, but you got to explore the options.  In Mark chapter 1 we encounter Jesus as he calls the first four disciples. Simon and his brother Andrew are fishing on...

If you separate embers in a fire, they will gradually lose their heat and their ability to provide warmth and light. However, when embers are together, they keep each other burning and can actually reignite other colder embers. How can we keep the ember of faith that is within us ignited? How can we help others keep their embers burning as well? Support the show

We are all human and we all have wounds. Some are old and have scarred over. Some are emotional or spiritual or mental as well. Wounds are part of being human. 13th Century poet Rumi has a quote - "Wounds are where the light comes in." Wounds are places where we can grow as we heal. Wounds are also the places that light can shine forth from us.  Support the show

As we begin 2024, the slate is clean and who knows what the next year could hold? In 2023, I knew I wanted to start a podcast but didn't know exactly what it would look like. And now we are 49 episodes later. I am grateful for those who have journeyed with me on this adventure and I hope you will continue. Share with your friends so that in the new year, faith may grow, faith may seep into th...

As I sit on Christmas Eve and record, I can hear the organist playing Joy to the World. This Christmas let us pause to remember that Jesus came into the world. Jesus entered all the way into our human existence so God knows what it is to be human. God knows what it is to experience all our emotions. Emmanuel - God with us. May we remember that throughout the year.  Support the show

As we approach the longest night on the winter solstice, December 21st, we remember that some people around us struggle. Heavy hearts or pain in life make the darkness feel even darker. Many people at this time of year struggle with depression due to the lack of light.  For centuries, people have known the days grew shorter and there are festivals to celebrate light. Advent and Christmas celebrate...

As we move closer to the winter solstice, it is a time to check in with our own souls and see what season we are in.  Our souls can have winter when we need to turn more inward and allow God to work beneath the soil of life. Just as plants grow roots in the soil over the winter, perhaps our souls need some time to re-center and grow new roots as well. How can you allow your spirit a time of winter...

As we begin December we begin the Christian season of Advent. A time of waiting. A time of expectant hope. A time to remember more than just the birth of Jesus or presents and Santa Claus. This is a time when we think about the return of Christ and how we are to be living. It is a time when we hear of John the Baptist in the wilderness calling for the way to be made straight. A time when we read a...

For many people the Holidays are a joyous time filled with family and friends. For others, this can be a very difficult time of year. For those who cannot be with family or who have lost loved ones, the coming weeks may be very difficult although they may not show it or let on. Be kind with yourself and gentle with others through the coming weeks.  Support the show