Blog (Page 52)

Face to face we sit- The silence, like a stone wall, separating us. It is not enough to sit in proximity if we have no trust. Give us hearts of flesh to grieve our hostility:  then grant us laughter and let us reach.  Even if we do not see eye to eye clearly. dare us open up our hands be hospitable:  bare us soul to soul.      ~ by Kate Compston

We begin a new worship series this Sunday focused on Hospitality.  This worship series will invite our community to recover hospitality as a central practice in our efforts to grow in faith and reach in love.   Take some time to identify people in your life who warmly welcome strangers and others in need. What do they do? How are they viewed by other people? Henri Nouwen writes, “If there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative…

The things, good Lord, that I pray for, give me your grace to labor for. 16th-century English martyr, –Thomas More,

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX1YtvFZOj0&feature=related] “There is, of course, no substitute for work. I myself practiced constantly, as I have all my life. I have been told I play the cello with the ease of a bird flying. I do not know with how much effort a bird learns to fly, but I do know what effort has gone into my cello. What seems ease of performance comes from the greatest labor. . . Almost always, facility results only from maximum effort. Art is…

“If you lose yourself in your work, you find who you are. If you express the best you have in you in your work, it is more than just the best you have in you that you are expressing.” ~from Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner

What words do you use to describe the work you do? How does your work (paid or volunteer) come out of your understanding of following the teachings of Jesus?

This Sunday we will celebrate Labor Day in worship.  Our scripture focus is James 1:17-27.   The writer of James is concerned with the practical wisdom of right behavior (there are 59 imperatives in the 108 verses that make up the book of James).  The basic point is that “for faith to be real, it must be translated into deeds.  It is not enough to be a ‘hearer of the word’; one must become a ‘doer’ of the word as well.”  (New…

Crossfit doesn’t just happen in gyms and garages…check this out: How will you practice your faith out in the world today?  How might your efforts to reach in love stop others in their tracks?  What’s holding you back from practicing your faith in ways that other people can’t help but notice?

Over 3,400 Crossfit gyms have popped up around the country since it started just over a decade ago. Gyms have a number of obvious, at least to me, advantages. Gyms have coaches who set programs and teach technique. Gyms allow athletes to workout in groups, encouraging and challenging one another. Gyms develop community and provide a place for people with similar goals to gather.  Gym membership is also expensive. Too expensive for many folks. Many believe you don’t need a…

This grandfather found himself in the worst physical condition of his life a few years ago. Watch this short video. It’s a story of transformation.  You might even call it redemption. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=folIky4brRo&w=560&h=315] How is your experience of rooting your life in Grace through worship shaping the way you live and move and have your being in your every day life?  How is your experience of gathering weekly to watch over in love the folks in your Kitchen Table helping…

2 1/2 years ago I walked into a Crossfit gym. The place was like no workout I’d experienced before. It reminded me of two-a-days from high school football, only on steroids. That first day a coach walked me through the philosophy and methodologies underpinning Crossfit. He talked about various ways to measure fitness and tried to convert me on Crossfit’s commitment to high intensity, constantly varied, and functional movements.  We were expected to set SMART goals which were Specific, Measurable,…

We are in the midst of three “stand alone” worship gatherings. Linda’s message yesterday invited reflection on Knitting Faith.  This week we turn to Crossfit & Church.   Take a moment to recall the way fitness was a part of your childhood.   How do you relate to fitness today? Crossfit is a rapidly growing fitness program started by Greg & Lauren Glassman in 2000. Over 3,400 Crossfit gyms have opened in the last twelve years across the county.  In…