posted: December 14, 2017
There are a variety of ways to wake up. I prefer the slow, no-alarm, linger-for-few-minutes under warm covers approach. That doesn’t always work out, however. During this week of final exams, I have one family member (who shall remain nameless) who has preferred to begin singing… Read More »
posted: December 7, 2017
When Lisa Capozzoli announced her resignation, my reaction was mixed. Though confident God has called Lisa to Christ Church of Oak Brook (CCOB) as a place to use her pastoral gifts fully and though delighted for the opportunities that await her, I’m going to miss Lisa. I hate to see… Read More »
posted: November 30, 2017
As the calendar turns to December, we human beings are alone among all God’s creatures in how busy we try to be. Bears hibernate. Squirrels hunker down in their nests with their horde of oak nuts. We humans work overtime and schedule exams. No wonder we feel stressed out this time of… Read More »
posted: November 21, 2017
There are two simple phrases being highlighted this month in Sunday worship and in our staff blog, “Please” and “Thank You.” Kara Hackert, our Director of Children’s Ministries, is the writer for this holiday week. Thanks to Kara, who begins with a… Read More »
_100_67_80.jpg "The #1 Rule of Public Speaking…and Thanksgiving")
posted: November 16, 2017
Jerry Seinfeld once noted that if the number one self-professed fear of Americans is public speaking, then people at a funeral would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy. What is it about standing in front of a crowd that strikes such terror within us? As a person who… Read More »
posted: November 9, 2017
There are two phrases being highlighted this month in Sunday worship and in our staff blog, “Please” and “Thank you.” Andy Pasek, our fearless leader of Student Ministries and newly minted Calvin Seminary Divinity student, is the writer for the week. Thanks to… Read More »
posted: November 2, 2017
The character Ron Swanson, a paragon of Midwestern values, delighted NBC’s Parks and Recreation viewers for seven years. One of Ron Swanson’s values was his commitment to truth-telling. In one episode Ron says that the things he finds most intolerable are “lying and skim… Read More »
posted: October 26, 2017
Three letters can convey a vast amount of information: USA. FBI. JFK. Each of these short acronyms is significant to Americans. I’d like to share with you a less widely known, but even more significant set of three letters: SDG. No, this doesn’t stand for “Students Doing… Read More »
posted: October 19, 2017
The “Great Reformation” of 500 years ago didn’t get started simply as a cultural movement. The Reformation caught fire with a particular personal transformation that acted as a catalyst for social forces already in the air. Martin Luther was an anxious man. He was… Read More »
posted: October 12, 2017
God is working to “reform” every square inch of creation. The “Reformation” is not just a major cultural happening that took place 500 years ago, it’s an ongoing reality. Last week, I wrote about part of my own personal spiritual re-formation. This week, our… Read More »
