Teaching and Learning
Over the past few years, our congregation has enjoyed having various pastoral interns work among us. When we are approached by people seeking to intern with us, it is often with the expressed hope that our congregation has something to teach them as they test out their gifts in ministry. …
Priesthood, Vulnerability, and Sacred Space
“A priest is someone who stands in a place of remarkable vulnerability, and by doing so, invites other people to enter the sacred.” I am currently reading the book Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity by Rev. Elizabeth M. Edman,…
Practicing Awareness: An Ash Wednesday Reflection
Our theme for Lent this year is “Practicing Awareness,” and we will begin to explore what this means during our Ash Wednesday service this evening at 7p in the sanctuary. This will be a short service that will include not only the usual scripture reading, prayer, and singing but also…
Affirmation and Accountability
If you were at the congregational meeting in November (or if you read the minutes, which I’m sure everyone does), you will remember hearing that I have decided to move forward with pursuing ordination. Many within the congregation either assume that I am already ordained, or they don’t have a…
The Gauntlet of Blessings
The new year is in full swing, which means all those things that have been holding off until “after the holidays” are also beginning to gain momentum. January is an especially full time in the life of our congregation, and if you are here for the next few Sundays, you…
Advent Practices
Last Sunday we kicked off a new liturgical year, which means we have officially entered the season of Advent. This is a season where we dwell on hope, waiting, expectation, and preparation to once again welcome the Christ child. During Advent, we learn to wait for the incarnation of God…
Do You Sense What I Sense?
The Advent and Christmas seasons are quickly approaching, and this year we will be focusing our worship services around the theme “Do You Sense What I Sense?” This is a play on the familiar song, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, and while the lyrics to that song ask about…
WDJD?
When I was in college, I found an old party game in the back of a closet. The game was called A Question of Scruples, and the gist of the game was that you had to guess how other people would respond to an ethical dilemma drawn at random from…
Big Cheese
It is so good to have Joel back, and I want to thank all of you who helped me make a summer of being the solo pastor for CMC go so smoothly. In the last few days before Joel left for his sabbatical, he started sending me detailed lists of…
Notice, Name, Nurture
It is good to be back with the Columbus Mennonite community after my seven week sabbatical. I know I’ve said it before, but it is truly an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to serve within a community that recognizes the value of setting aside intentional time for…
