In certain conditions and seasons, we can name (must name) a depletion that can occur because we are finite beings. That’s the “natural” way of things and in God’s way we learn the lessons of rest, trust, letting go, saying “no”, receiving help, adjusting expectations, pruning back our spending, exercising new disciple or directions, maybe being…
This passage from John 15 is the eternal Advent, Christmas, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter/tide and all ordinary days invitation! The verse continues . . . As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have…
Your inboxes and mailboxes are no doubt full of requests and opportunities to share your financial gifts with worthy endeavors today on “Giving Tuesday.” It’s become quite the tradition in recent years. Assuming you want to be on those email lists, I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate the GIFT of all the…
“are met in Thee tonight.” Our Christmas Eve preparations are almost complete. Our sanctuary will be filled with our hopes and fears, our peace and hope and joy and love. Incredible music and a faith-full Word and a welcoming Table. Lighting candles (anyway!), we’ll worship in the reality of this Day. The reality that “Jesus…
I am meditating on the love alive in this place due to the grace of Jesus Christ. I am meditating on the holy days unfolding, all of our respective burdens and the need for comfort and courage (the gifts of the Christ Child we’ve been remembering this season). I am savoring the “deeper joy” of…
That provocative quote has been circling around my heart and mind this week, including in conversations on true vs false peace (with Laurel and Sarah in Revelation book study) and worship planning on “comfort” of peace for this Sunday (with Linda and Laurel). Attributed to an early 20th-century journalist, Dunne, in his columns of Peter…
“God with us” in the mess. This season we will focus on the comfort and courage found in the presence of the Christ child. We focus in Advent on this presence by remembering the Biblical name for him – Emmanuel. This season we’ll remember and practice the gifts of comfort and courage through Advent’s weeks of…
Dear Eden Family and Friends, I write tonight to express my care for you and for all of our extended family and community as we process last night’s election of Donald J. Trump to be our 47th President. On Sunday I opened our “Joys and Concerns” time with this excerpt from Carrie Newcomer, a wonderful…
Between this Echo and our subsequent Annual Holiday Letter, we will experience our November elections. I urge you to take your duty to vote seriously. Be radically and holistically informed on the issues and steeped in prayer. In this divided time there are many attempts to ignite fear, indulge in grievances and create enmity. So,…
Many weeks ago I committed that we’d join others across the nation in a dedicated opportunity to acknowledge and pray for First Responders on this Sunday. It’s part of what’s become “Faith and Blue” Weekend across the country. We’ll include some special prayer time and name some of our members and others in our spiritual…
