It has been a few years, but it is finally time to start thinking again about our Coming of Age Celebration.  Barring any unforeseen circumstances with the pandemic, we will be holding this service on February 27th.  The plan is to be back in the sanctuary, while also still streaming…

In 2002 I was newly married, doing Mennonite Voluntary Service in St. Louis with Abbie, and in the middle stages of theological deconstruction.  The collection of beliefs that had guided my youth and early young adulthood no longer made sense.  There was no clear indication much of anything made sense. …

A recent essay in The Atlantic by Stanford professor of psychology Jamil Zaki highlights my growing unease with the cultural direction self-care has taken.  It’s titled “’Self-care’ Isn’t the Fix for Late-Pandemic Malaise.” Zaki upholds the importance of self-care which he defines as “anything pursued for the sake of one’s…

The Leadership Team recently approved my sabbatical proposal for this coming summer, so I thought I would use this month’s blog to let the congregation know a little more about what my plans and hopes are for this time away from normal duties.  The guiding question that I have decided…

For each of the four births Abbie and I experienced together, including our stillborn daughter Belle, everything else faded into the background for a precious and brief time.  During those hours and days, it was unquestionably clear what mattered most.  We had a vital role to play, but we were…