Dear friends, We’re here at the end of Week 3 of our efforts to “social distance” and “shelter in place” as we work together to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re like me, you’ve felt extreme anxiety, worry, and fear … you’ve felt confusion, frustration, and anger
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Dear friends, My hope and my daily (sometimes hourly) prayer is that you and your loved ones are doing as well as you can in the midst of this strange and worrisome time in which we find ourselves. Please know how much I miss seeing you all in person on
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It’s still hard to believe that we won’t be gathering today in the sanctuary for worship. But alas, that’s the reality in which we find ourselves. A place of uncertainty. A place of not knowing what the future holds. Our whole world has changed in the course of one week
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March 14, 2020 – 3:00pm Dear Church Family and Friends, Out of an abundance of caution and a recommendation from our Bishop, church leaders and I have decided to suspend our worship services until further notice. This decision was very difficult and was made with great sadness. Being together in
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March 13, 2020 – 11:30am Dear Church Family and Friends, As you’re all aware, national, state, and local entities are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19. It is a rapidly changing situation for our community and larger world. In light of this, we are on heightened alert and want to
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There’s something powerful in being marked each year with ashes on my forehead and hearing the words, “From dust you have come. To dust you shall return. Repent and believe the Gospel!” It’s a reminder of our mortality and, more importantly, of our faith in a God who creates us
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Dear friends, I’m writing to you about a few different topics that have common bonds … the tension within our global denomination, resisting harm, and the ongoing ministry of our local church here in Avondale. If you’re not interested in the global things going on, I hope you’ll skip to
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Each year on Christmas Eve, we read the birth story of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:1-20). Why? Only two Gospels – Matthew and Luke – contain details of Jesus’ conception and birth. Of the two, Luke is the only one that gives the details about the actual
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When I think back on my childhood, I have fond memories of celebrating holidays with my extended family. My family took every opportunity to get together … from Christmas to Easter to Memorial Day to the 4th of July … we were always together. All of them were fun, but
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All Saints Day is a significant day in the life of the church as we remember and celebrate that great cloud of witnesses that we call the communion of saints. It’s a day that we give thanks to God for the lives of all those who, in their earthly life,
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