I had just come home after my own stay at the University of Michigan Hospital. I had been there for seven days. Then, I went to see an elderly friend in comfort care. It struck me before I even sat down, how familiar this room felt. We had laughed, ate lunch, made pictures, and worshiped…Read more Berries, Communion, and Grace
Faith
Grace and Pain brings Opportunities
Psalm 30:2 — “O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” Last Friday morning, I awoke at 2:15 a.m. in intense pain and overwhelming nausea. I quietly slipped downstairs so I wouldn’t wake my family. For the next several hours, the pain would not ease, nor would the…Read more Grace and Pain brings Opportunities
Hospital Grace
Even in the middle of hospital rooms, procedures, and medical decisions, God continues to reveal His grace in quiet and unexpected ways. Admittedly, even in pain, I did not want to come back to the hospital. My wise wife called and they said, “Come now.” After triage and several “clicks” of morphine, I was grateful.…Read more Hospital Grace
Promises Define Us!
Promises My promises define who I am. I have made promises to my beautiful wife, Rebekah, to our family, to our church, and to our community. I make those promises because of the promise God has made to us—a promise He has faithfully kept. In Scripture, God calls His promises covenants. To illustrate the power and…Read more Promises Define Us!
Devoted to Prayer for the Middle East Tonight!
Before learning early this morning about the President’s military strike involving Iran, I had spent time meditating on this verse from Scripture: “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”—Colossians 4:2 It felt as though God had gently prepared my heart for the news of the day. Almost immediately, I sensed…Read more Devoted to Prayer for the Middle East Tonight!
The Grace of Being Present: A Pastor’s Reflection of Recovering from Cancer
Sunday morning, I slipped in as quietly as possible. I worshiped with our church family in person for the first time since my second surgery for colon cancer. About an hour before the service, I made the decision to go. Becky had been at church for nearly an hour already. She did not know I…Read more The Grace of Being Present: A Pastor’s Reflection of Recovering from Cancer
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Holocaust Remembrance Day "They had seen and smelled the death camps, and now they were able to realize that all along they had been ... fighting for something positive, the sacredness of life itself. ... After the camps, a moral attitude was rampant. ... The boys' explosive little tour in France had been a crusade…Read more Holocaust Remembrance Day
Mattering
Mattering—the title caught my eye. Yesterday I read a review of Jennifer Wallace’s new book. The author makes a point we emphasized many times at Woodland Church: every new person who walks in for morning worship, Elevation, or a small group is silently carrying two questions: Will you love me? Will you accept me? In…Read more Mattering
Goal Planning After Cancer: Grateful, Surprised, and Still Growing
This week I’ve been working on my annual goals. When I received my cancer diagnosis in June, I assumed it would derail everything I had planned for this year—and in many ways, it did. Over half of our plans changed or had to be set aside altogether. But as I worked through my annual review,…Read more Goal Planning After Cancer: Grateful, Surprised, and Still Growing
A Brief Reflection on Retirement, Love, and Letting Go
I recently “retired” as the pastor of the most loving and wonderful church family. Woodland Church has been our family’s church home for 27 years and will continue to be our church family. This has been a joyful—and emotionally difficult—decision. One of my friends encouraged me to ignore the sadness I am experiencing and not…Read more A Brief Reflection on Retirement, Love, and Letting Go
Coram Deo 