Scripture reading is from Matthew 28: 16-20: “16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, … Continue reading Sermon: “It’s All About Relationships: Trinity and the Flow of Love”

Sermon, June 3rd, 2018, “The Divine Light in Everyone: Created in the Trinity”   It’s finally here! Summer has arrived. The pools are open, the temperatures are up, the sun is shining; its summer! After the longest winter ever or at least it felt like it, we finally celebrate this week the beginning of the summer season. One of the things people love the most about summer is being outside in the sunlight. Whether you like the warmth or getting a tan, the sun makes the summer, but you don’t have to get a tan to reflect the sun. You’re reflecting … Continue reading “The Divine Light in Everyone: Created in the Trinity” Sermon

SCRIPTURE READING- Acts 2: 1-6 The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, … Continue reading Pentecost Sermon, “Breathing All Together”

I have been listening to a contemporary hymn over and over again recently. It’s a hymn written by Shirley Erena Murray titled For Everyone Born, A Place at the Table. I’ll share the full lyrics below, but there was one line in the refrain that continues to speak to me. The refrain is: “And God will delight when we are creators of justice and joy, compassion and peace; yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice, justice and joy!” What struck me were the words “justice and joy.” I have experienced both justice and joy, but it has been … Continue reading Justice and Joy

Introduction “Don’t pray from a place you’re not at,” said Sister Barb Leonard of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana. This is a quote that has stayed with me since the Spiritual Direction Internship class session on integrating emotion and prayer. It made me pause and reflect. How do I pray? Do I pray with my emotions? Do I pray from a place that I find myself in during that time of prayer? I have now reflected for some time on the concept of praying with my emotions. In order to be truly open, authentic, and vulnerable with … Continue reading Learning How to Pray

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: THE BASICS                           Here is some basic information related to spiritual direction: What is spiritual direction?   While there are many ways to define spiritual direction, I have always looked at it as the process of helping another person recognize the activity of God in his or life and help them discern how to respond appropriately. A director helps the directee become more aware and in tuned to God’s presence in their lives. A director doesn’t provide answers, try to fix you or a challenge, but is simply present to the sacred wisdom within you and the Spirit moving within … Continue reading Spiritual Direction Practice: The Basics

Sermon, April 15th, 2018   “You Are Witnesses”  Our Mission Guatemala team has had a wonderful time serving this week. They are in the air this morning headed back to Indiana. They helped to construct a building for the teachers of the San Andreas school district. They were wiring rebar, mixing concrete, and laying cinder blocks. I might add they were doing this in 70 degrees weather with sunshine. At least Indiana finally had spring show up this week. I’m so glad that our team had a wonderful experience, as I knew they would. I have served in Guatemala twice. … Continue reading Easter Week 3 Sermon: “You Are Witnesses”