Anchor Verses: Psalm 103:8-12; Psalm 91:1-16; Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-31 A Shepherding God When I was in pastor school, my wife and I worked at Stratford Ecological Center, a small Community Shared Agriculture farm where we helped grow veggies, grains and livestock for the local community. One summer, we had an intern from Israel named Cheim who said he had been a shepherd back home. We had about a dozen sheep at the farm and one day, we had to do... Read more
A Walk in the Woods It took us almost 30 years, but this last weekend, my wife and completed a section of the Gerard Hiking Trail that we got lost on back in college. Backpacking is a deeply primal, deeply personal challenge that requires more than just putting a bunch of stuff in a bag and walking for x amount of miles. With another person, it becomes a whole different experience all together. Both my wife and I grew... Read more
Anchor Verse Acts 2:42-47 As the story goes, my wife stole me from the monastery. For two whole years, I considered priesthood and monastic orders in a process called pre formation. I was tasked with going to church every morning, praying rosary several times a day and working though the book of Psalms every month. I went on several exploratory retreats with the Redemptorists who had a presence in my hometown before leaving. I was raised around the Benedictine sisters... Read more
God’s Loving kindness – Chesed My lectio this week directed my attention to the Hebrew word hesed (chesed), this week and as I am getting ready in a couple of weeks to talk about God, the meaning of hesed caught my attention. Hesed is a Hebrew word that means loving-kindness, loyalty, and mercy, often describing the faithful love that God has for His people. It encompasses actions of kindness and generosity that go beyond what is expected in a relationship.... Read more
This is going to be a 4 week serries – Week 1 – We Believe Anchor Verse: John 20:19-31 Over the next four weeks, I may say some things that are going to be uncomfortable and will challenge you to expand your understanding of what we believe. In these moments, I want you to reflect on Paul’s word’s in Romans 12 where he challenges us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. By doing so, we move our... Read more
It Did Not Turn Out Like We Planned I have been section hiking the Appalachian Trail since 2021. Previously, I spent ten years running ultra-marathon races and other 12 – 23-hour endurance events. John Lennon was known for saying that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. This could not be truer of life in general and ultrarunning and section hiking specifically. I remember the first section hike I took with my then 14-year-old daughter in... Read more
Anchor verse: Mathew 21:1-11 Messianic Hope “No longer certain that one ever does win a war, I am,” Yoda admits in the sixth season of The Clone Wars. “For in fighting the battles, the bloodshed, already lost we have.” This week’s scriptures are an example of a passage not written for modern people in mind. The passage is rich in sacred scriptures that would have held deep meaning for the first and second century Jews and eventually Christians.... Read more
What does it mean to love deeply? I have noticed lately that civility seems to be a rare commodity these days. People seem more prone to acting in ways that seem increasingly self centered and even spiteful. What happened to us and how can we cultivate a more loving posture and bow deeply in love to the presence of love in each of those who cross our paths, even those who vex us greatly. In reading an old blog by... Read more
Anchor verses: Ezekiel 37:1-14 & John 11:1-45 Ezekiel’s Prophetic Witness Ezekiel 37 invites us into a story many of us know well—a story I’ve returned to often as a pastor. In the midst of life’s desolation and despair, Ezekiel shows us that God is still present. When we feel lost or broken, God breathes new life and possibility into our dry bones, turning even our darkest moments into chances for renewal and faith. This vision is a timeless promise:... Read more
Anchor verses: |Ephesians 5:8-14 and John 9:1-41 Stepping Out of the Shadows Let us consider the ancient classic, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. This short story is a powerful philosophical metaphor that illustrates how people can be trapped in ignorance, perceiving only shadows of reality rather than the truth. It depicts prisoners chained in a cave who see only shadows on a wall, representing distorted perceptions, while the outside world symbolizes true knowledge and enlightenment. Briefly, if you are not... Read more
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