I often write here about the sights and sounds of my neighborhood. It is a lively place that surprises and intrigues me, and while there are occasionally things that shock me there are many more things that begin to feel quote normal and expected. Like loud parties with lots of Mariachi or hip-hop music that… Continue reading Mix tape
Author: erika
Preaching: A meal for the whole family
I preached yesterday on the subject of “testimony,” or telling our story. We are beginning a series at our church that looks at our spiritual growth through different aspects of our Christian life: prayer, fasting, racial righteousness, reading the Bible, etc. My sermon was the first of the series and I explored the reasons why… Continue reading Preaching: A meal for the whole family
Quotation of the Week
“And thus when we want an authentic experience of communion with Christ, the church is often the last place we think of–it’s full of all those fallen people. Instead, we retreat from the church into private prayer. There we have only one sinner to account for, and we imagine that with a little fervent prayer… Continue reading Quotation of the Week
Mystery solved
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mercy has been insistent about what she wants for her birthday party this Sunday: party hats, pink cake, and hot dogs. I have wondered why these particular things held such great importance to her, but since I am one who tends to have her heart definitively set on… Continue reading Mystery solved
Some thoughts on growing up
I was just reading something about the future of youth ministry in the church, and it made me think about what the things were that made a difference for me as a young person growing up in her faith: 1. Christian Camp: All of the “Jesus Camp” press aside, I was deeply affected as a… Continue reading Some thoughts on growing up
Sir, give me this water…
I think I can say that, in general, the collection of the offering is rarely the high point for people in weekly Sunday worship gatherings. This is usually the time where people excuse themselves to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, whisper to their neighbor, get their Bibles out, or read whatever… Continue reading Sir, give me this water…
In the shadows of the happy day
Tomorrow is Mercy’s second birthday, or “happy day” as we call it in our house. She has been quite clear as to what she wants for her celebration: “party hats, pink cake, hot dogs and apple juice.” I better enjoy the days when birthday wishes are this simple. I know that pony rides, doll cakes,… Continue reading In the shadows of the happy day
Everyone needs friends like these…
For a fun recap of my birthday celebrations from the foodie perspective at one of my favorite daily reads…
Quotation of the Week
“It is likely that our theological problem in the church is that our gospel is a story believed, shaped, and transmitted by the dispossessed; and we are now a church of possessions for whom the rhetoric of the dispossessed is offensive and their promise is irrelevant. And we are left to see if it is… Continue reading Quotation of the Week
A product of her environment
In our neighborhood, there is a significant population of young and old who push shopping carts around. For most of these folks, the carts are filled with their belongings–they are their “homes” so to speak. For others, they are more about commerce, filled to overflowing with the recycling they are able to collect from the… Continue reading A product of her environment