January 16, 2016 · 9:47 am

New Vistas on a New Year

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I had the opportunity, along with fifteen other members of our short-term mission team, to welcome the new year while guests in Chile. I doubt that any one of us will soon forget this most unusual celebration of New Year’s, both because of our location and the vistas it provided. Nestled in the foot hills of the Andes, as guests of the Mapuche people (the indigenous tribal people of Chile) we were rich in both hospitality and scenery for the holiday.

The particular vista my host home offered was that of a pasture overlooking an alpine lake, with an active volcano jutting forth in the distance. (See picture above) Continue reading →

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Filed under Holy Days, Uncategorized

November 28, 2015 · 9:05 am

The Slow Work of Story Listening

I’ve long held to the belief that we all have a story that’s waiting, sometimes needing, to be told. Our story comes forth in bits and pieces, fragments of paragraph and run-on sentence. It is being written on the landscape of our days and recorded in the memory of our conscious experience; yet, increasingly, it seldom emerges in full form.

In the rush and hurry of today’s way of living, it’s rare that one gets to know a full chapter, let alone the greater book. We live in a world of tweets and posts, and video sound bites that have all but reduced our ability to listen and focus for any length of duration. (For example, you may be wondering, by now, if you even have time to invest in the remainder of this article!) Continue reading →

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Filed under Ministry, Pastors, Spiritual Formation

November 25, 2015 · 9:01 pm

The Upside of Downsizing

For the past several weeks my wife and I have been walking alongside her mother as she goes through the process of downsizing her living quarters. As one might expect this has been a journey of multiple dimensions and emotions.  I would offer the following observations and thanksgivings as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow: Continue reading →

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Filed under Family, Ministry

October 27, 2015 · 8:40 pm

Sabbath Keeping . . a Mental Health Spiritual Practice

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Yesterday I took what I named a “nearing the end of the season” bike ride out to Harrison Lake.  This is a beautiful ride in the autumn of the year – one I’ve made each of the last three years in late October or early November.  Once again I was not disappointed by the artistry of God’s paint brush.  The picture hardly does justice to the hues of yellow, orange and red that bounced off the earth’s canvass against a perfect blue sky.  I was reminded, once again, that one of my four favorite seasons is Fall!

Added to this Sabbath Monday experience (as a pastor Monday is usually my Sabbath) was the challenge and thrill of the ride. Continue reading →

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Filed under Christian Faith, Spiritual Formation

October 1, 2015 · 4:06 pm

A View From the Rear

This past Saturday I did something I had been wanting to do for three years.  I volunteered on my bicycle with the Columbus based “Mill Race Marathon”.  What an interesting experience.  Some 35 cyclists were involved this year supporting the Full and Half Marathon and the 5K.  We were interspersed among the 3500 or so runners and walkers on the streets of our fair city on a cool September day.

As a newbie I did not want to be in a position with too much responsibility. For example, no leading a runner off course, or getting smoked by an elite runner I couldn’t keep up with.  No, when the volunteer form was submitted I checked those positions that were more toward the middle or end of the course.  Little did I know that rookie volunteers must be assigned to the trail or sweep position, as a rule.  My assignment, along with another cyclist, was to be the trail on the last half of the full marathon.  This meant bringing the final runner in to the finish line.  This meant six plus hours on my bike (I elected to ride the entire route) with much of it at speeds that ranged from two to four miles per hour.

It may sound like it, but I am not complaining.  I had a blast doing this. Continue reading →

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Filed under Cycling, Ministry, Uncategorized