I was cruising through my regular blog reads yesterday when I came across the following. In describing an upcoming mission trip to Russia that her husband is taking, Llama Momma writes this: I’m thrilled to see my husband go on this trip. As a young college student at Urbana, he felt a distinct call to… Continue reading Senders
Category: Missional
Be my guest
We are now past the half-way point of our family leave time, and these weeks away spent with our families have reminded me of the power of hospitality. Embracing our family for days on end and sharing life and space with us is no small thing. Whether it is Aaron’s fascination with buttons (any and… Continue reading Be my guest
The people who are…
Ever since I was a child, I can remember seeing the following phrase used on various publications from our church: “The people who are Shoreline Covenant Church.” As a kid, I can remember thinking that the language seemed a bit clumsy or strange. In every other context where I heard the word “church” used, it… Continue reading The people who are…
O Christmas Tree
There is a tradition in Portland, as in many cities, of celebrating the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in the center of town. Having never seen it live, Auntie Sarah and I decided to brave the elements (I forget how cold it is up here!) and head downtown with all three kids to see… Continue reading O Christmas Tree
Leaving the 99
Rudy Carrasco, our neighbor to the north, wrote a great piece in the Pasadena Star-News in response to the recent wave of gang violence in his community. He writes this about the need for intervention as well as the more common prevention initiatives: But doing gang intervention is not as easy as it sounds. In… Continue reading Leaving the 99
The priesthood of all; a paycheck for some
I really appreciated Julie Clawson’s honesty in looking at the issues surrounding the choice to pay pastors for their work within a faith community. I have had many conversations with many people about whether the whole “professional clergy” model is worth keeping, and whether using a community’s resources to support a paid pastor is the… Continue reading The priesthood of all; a paycheck for some
Discipleship and potty training
Mercy was just fifteen months old when Aaron was born, and around the time I delivered she suddenly decided that she wanted to potty train. It is a bit unusual for kids to have that much interest at that young of an age, but Mercy was adamant: it was time. I have very distinct memories… Continue reading Discipleship and potty training
This has to be a joke
My husband just emailed me a link to this article. Please tell me this is not for real.
Can I get a witness?
I am a big fan of Scot McKnight’s “Weekly Meanderings” feature on his blog. He consistently links to stories and reflections that engage me on multiple levels, and this past week was no exception. He included a link to a blog belonging to a pediatrician serving in Haiti, and to a particularly compelling description of… Continue reading Can I get a witness?
Shift
A good friend stopped by the other day to meet Baby Elijah. She fundraises her salary to work with our Servant Partner’s internship program, and during her visit, it came up that she had lost a few donors in the last couple of months and that she was facing a critical lack in financial support… Continue reading Shift