by Emily Carson Jesus consistently stepped into tense situations rather than tiptoeing around them. He didn’t avoid difficult interpersonal dynamics; he embraced them and recognized that tension is often a catalyst for transformation (of people and systems). Tension can be defined as the state of being stretched. We can experience it individually, and it also […]
by Emily Carson The room was silent for a long time before the first council member spoke up. “No one here seems to be getting along anymore. There’s so much gossip. Something needs to change.” There were many pauses that evening as church council members took turns digging deep and sharing openly. Rather than continuing […]
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by Jennifer Hackbarth Our bodies work hard to maintain homeostasis, a state when all bodily systems are functioning in balance. No matter the temperature of our environment, our internal body temperature needs to stay within a fairly narrow range; if it goes too high or too low, we can get sick and even die. We […]
by Jennifer Hackbarth I transitioned from a long-term congregational call to interim ministry in the winter of 2022. Over the past year and a half, I’ve served three congregations as an associate interim pastor. Going from a thirteen-year call to jumping between congregations every six months has taught me how fun transition can be and […]
by Susan Schneider “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you […]
by: Ralen M. Robinson The hymnist sings with a raspy timber, “Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom Oh freedom over me And before I’d be a slave I’d be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free Oh, freedom” These soulful words reverberated throughout the civil rights movement and through generations as […]
by Susan Schneider The best art enriches our lives, promotes growth, and creates an emotional response in its creation and reception. Sometimes the strong feelings art awakens in us lead us to pause and reflect; sometimes, they spur us to action. Along with protest songs and speeches, the use of visual art to inspire is […]
by Mary Button Lately I’ve been meditating on 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” This verse comes at the end of one of the […]
by Mary Button You know those songs everybody knows, but everybody knows only about 80% of the lyrics? Maybe you’ve been that person belting out the words to a song, up to that point where you just kind of hum or mumble along with the tune. For me, it happens even with hymns I’ve known […]