Rainbow over walkway

Building a Bridge for Such a Time as This

Listen to the podcast interview  The Golden Gate Bridge isn’t on the road to Emmaus, but it’s where Lisa Darden had her encounter with God. After being led to Christianity in the early ’90s by someone who was gay, Darden, a filmmaker born in Germany

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

Peace Is Hard To Come By

Peace is hard to come by. The reality is that if we wait for the world to be peaceful in order for us to feel peace, we’ll be waiting for a long, long time. The real, lasting peace comes from dwelling in, abiding in, God.

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

In a Perfect World

The fictional but very insightful character “Forrest Gump” was famous for many phrases, but perhaps the most quoted of those is, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” It has over the past 10-15 years become a phrase

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

Finding That Port in the Storm

He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ – Mark 4:39-40 I began long ago

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

Into the Woods: Peace in the Wilderness

I was reminded recently of just how terrifying the scriptures can be. A few Sundays back, as the pastor quoted the lectionary reading, my ears perked up upon hearing the gospel writer’s assertion, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

The ‘Duh!’ of a Disciple

A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But (Jesus) was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and (the disciples) woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

Run to Your Dreaming

Run to your dreaming when you’re alone Unplug the TV and turn off the phone Get heavy on with diggin’ your ditch -Dave Matthews Band – “Diggin’ a Ditch” “How’s your meditation practice coming?” my friend said with a slight smile. He smiled because the

Ash Wednesday cross

Reflect, Repent, Reboot

Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, Columbia, S.C. Readings for Ash Wednesday: Joel 2:12-18, Matthew 6:1-15 Let me begin with a couple of silly questions: How many of you use a computer? How many of you have had your computer crash? I imagine many

LOVE Scrabble letters on bible

Seminar 2: The Old Testament and Homosexuality

One installment of a three-part series From Genesis to Leviticus to 1 Kings, the Old Testament is often used as a weapon against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Despite Jesus’ insistence that we are no longer under Old Testament law, modern day Christians still