Posts from 2016

Advent calls us to prepare our hearts, souls, minds, and relationships: so that Christ might enter it. We only have to turn our attention to Jesus, (the Word made flesh, the fullness of God) and we will find God there.

May an abundance of gratitude burst forth as you reflect upon what you have received. May thanksgiving overflow in your heart, and often be proclaimed in your prayer. May you gather around the table of your heart …

None of us like to be vulnerable, but there are lessons in this position and it offers us opportunity for growth. God assures us that s/he is present with us and that her/his grace is sufficient. It is a call and opportunity to grow in trust in God.

Jesus spoke often in parables about the natural world. What questions or stirrings arise in you as the season moves to autumn? I share with you a prayer by Sister Joyce Rupp. May her thoughts guide you to places you have not gone before or in a while.

Autumn is a time of reflecting on our lives. What do we need to let go of so we may simple live? What beauty lies within us that are kept hidden in the business of our daily lives? What relationship needs to be blessed with my presence?

It is easy to become slack; believing we have a strong enough connection to God without having to pay attention. But many days of forgetting God allows the sand of our life to pile up. Using a daily devotional can help cultivate our attentiveness to God.

As the NFL season begins, the players are are committed to give their best using the gifts that each of them brings to the team. As members of Epworth, God is counting on us to use our given gifts to support the mission of making disciples.

Being intentional of inviting God into all the places we go and the relationships we have does make a difference. It makes a difference in how we see the beauty of creation, how we act and react in relationships, and most importantly, it moves us closer to God.

Igniting or re-igniting the Fire (Holy Spirit) within us is key to having a vital abundant life: individually and as a church. Sometimes it’s easier to find and articulate God than at others, but daily practice helps us to develop the habit of relating all things to God.

Transformation begins within one’s self. Each one of us must be willing to surrender and become part of the transformation that we want to see. Our Christian faith is not a once and done deal, but a way of life that is new each morning.