About a year ago on our way to author Anne Lamott's book reading in Kansas City, I was having a conversation with three ladies from our congregation on our growing desire to invest in our community. As a church, we are growing in our understanding that we are here for our city. God has placed … Continue reading Pay-What-You-Can Cafe: Meals with Dignity
Category: Church Ministry
Bloody Church
Writing is really quite simple; all you have to do is sit down at your typewriter and open a vein. Red Smith Open a vein . . . quite simple? I think not. Painful . . . most definitely. Messy . . . usually. In the days of early medicine when people would be under … Continue reading Bloody Church
Hunger
The doctor's office was simple and bleak. The walls were empty except for the chipping beige paint on stone walls connected to a stone floor. There were two worn cots with a simple white sheet on each one and a small wooden desk with a chair on either side. This was the room where a … Continue reading Hunger
Our African Cow
I own part of a cow in Africa. I was thinking of her today and what a beautiful cow she is. I haven't seen her but she is beautiful because of God's story in her. Like so many of us - beautiful because of God's story in us. In June, we went to Kenya to … Continue reading Our African Cow
The Word on Church
Stephen Colbert makes me happy. There aren’t too many folks who can make recession humorous. Wouldn’t it be liberating to have a time in church services for "The Word" and it referred to a Colbert-type segment rather than Scripture? The preacher could be preaching but the projection screens show little comments along the way that … Continue reading The Word on Church
Isaiah 58 Sermon
Preached on February 6, 2011 at First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, MO Empty Stomachs, Empty Worship Isaiah 58:1-12 If you’ve ever seen a Charlie Brown cartoon on TV, you are familiar with Charlie’s teacher, Mrs. Donovan. Whenever she talks in the cartoon all you hear is the “Waa –wa – waa – waa” sound of … Continue reading Isaiah 58 Sermon
The War that Never Ends
Since I first saw the Invisible Children film nearly eight years ago, I've been a fan of the Invisible Children organization. They are doing big things and doing them well. For the past eight years, I've followed Africa's longest running war. My introduction to it is due to a film by IC. Since then, they … Continue reading The War that Never Ends
Leaving On a Jet Plane Again
I'm writing this at 5:37 am as Dr. Lory Feeler and I wait for our flight to the Dominican Republic. We are spending a few days with our partners, Servant's Heart Ministries, in Sosua, DR. SHM is a Canadian-based ministry and we are their only US partner. They want to grow their contacts in the … Continue reading Leaving On a Jet Plane Again
Pickled People Make Poor Parishes
One blog that I follow is the Naked Pastor. Dave Hayward has some great thoughts and challenges for the church through his cartoons. So many times, I'll see his latest and laugh at how well he captures life in the church. This was his latest that he posted today and I love it (and … Continue reading Pickled People Make Poor Parishes
The Ministry of Presence :Missional Church Network
More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not … Continue reading The Ministry of Presence :Missional Church Network
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