I recently read a sermon in which the author stated that they “prefer to look at the church as a symphony or a tapestry”. While I can appreciate the idea of being a piece of a bigger artwork, I can’t embrace that the analogy of the church as a tapestry or a symphony, and I’ll... Continue Reading →
“Who do you say I am?” – Assumptions and Habits
My mind is spinning with thoughts as questions from a Facebook post asking about a Gospel reading collided with a book I’m reading about how habits form, become entrenched, and change. In Mark 8:27-37, Jesus is asking his disciples who do people say that he, Jesus, is and then asks his disciples who do they... Continue Reading →
Part2: The Gathering…The Church
It’s taken me a while to start putting my thoughts and feelings into words. I do remember looking through old Gathering photos 2 years ago as I was pulling some for a gift I was putting together for our Youth and Family Ministry Director who was stepping down. As her husband was emailing me more photos... Continue Reading →
Part 1: The Gathering…The Event
I had heard that the Gathering was big. I knew 30,000 was the typical attendance. I had heard of the energy that emanated from it, especially from the Mass Gatherings. I saw the Facebook posts suggesting getting ear plugs. And let’s not forget that this was Houston at the end of June…so, it was going... Continue Reading →
Question(s)
Maybe your initial reaction is "how cute, a page full of hearts." But it's not. Look at it again. I started with the big question mark in the middle. I had just listened to a podcast that had proposed some questions to consider in order to answer an original question. It set my mind and... Continue Reading →
One Thread, Many Threads
Last weekend I added another single thread to a Network of 954 other threads. I'm not sure why or how the image of connected threads came about before the weekend, but it did. https://vmwishes.com/2018/01/24/a-single-flame-a-single-thread/ Over the course of 4 full days, 955 of us who are involved in children, youth, and family ministry gathered to... Continue Reading →
A single flame, a single thread…
When one feels so small and little, when it seems one isn’t enough for any impact, when a single flame seems to only be able to cast light out a few inches (look up foot candle), and when a single thread seems to be able to hold so little and offer little strength… Multiply that... Continue Reading →
A Parable…
There once was a family of children who lived well in community. Though children, their ages varied greatly. Though family, their backgrounds were diverse. And while they lived well together, it is not to say that life was always smooth sailing. Life was a shared adventure in work, learning, worship, play, and service. Bumps along... Continue Reading →
Seen and Unseen
There is plenty of material out there on the reliability of witnesses' testimonies. Ask five people to recount the story of the same incident they all were present for and you will get 5 variations on what actually happened. That's understandable for an unanticipated event that people weren't necessarily prepared for or paying close attention to.... Continue Reading →
Be Countercultural
I originally started this post the day after Reformation. Then I came across a proposed modern day list of 95 Theses in a blog piece shared on Facebook. I thought, yup, this says it better than me. So I put this blog entry aside. But it keeps pulling me back...or maybe the Holy Spirit keeps pulling... Continue Reading →