St. Francis experienced the love of God in nature. Earth and sky, Brother Sun and Sister moon, creatures and creation all revealed to him a loving and benevolent God. This Sunday we will share in a time for the Blessing of Animals at 5pm and in our worship services you will hear more of how Francis was deeply connected with both his Creator and creatures. Here is an article from the Humane Society about St. Francis whose impact has been far reaching. All of October we will b

Keeping it simple this week. Listening to Simple Gifts . I am grateful that I learned the shorthand of tl;dr: too long; didn't read. The grace of an author whose book I am "reading"; acknowledging that there are times the reader just needs to keep it simple and read a summary. The bulleted points at the end of a section are a gift; a simple gift. My summary of what I seek to share: trust God and love people. It is a both/and; simple and complex. Here is an invitation to bot

Risky business. When Jesus places a child in the midst of his disciples and says, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:37 Jesus is breaking the rules. Children aren't of value and they certainly aren't welcome. Jesus is getting the attention of his disciples (who have been arguing about who among them is the greatest) by once again not behaving in a way expected. Welcoming a child,

The saying "sticks and stones may break my bones and words will never hurt me isn’t true. Words matter. This week in Mark 8:27-38 we hear a lot of words that matter. At the beginning of that passage, when Jesus asks his followers who people say that he is, Peter declares, "You are the Messiah”. That utterance makes something happen- Peter reveals an awareness, a relationship, an awakening. In this moment, in this revelation of Jesus’ identity as the Chosen One of God, th

Time to “spread my wings and fly.” A clear message I received just over a month ago and so much has happened since. I’ll get to some of that, but first I want to turn back time just a tad to May 5, 2019. When I spoke to the congregation, much like I will this coming Sunday, sharing my story. Only that time I was just starting this journey as I had just committed to taking the first steps. I remember the vulnerability, fear, and excitement of leaning into a pull I had held bac