Our Blog

Pastor’s Ponderings June 2026 . . . is the name of our new sermon series on the Book of Romans. I also thought about naming it “A Summer in Rom(ans)” but I ultimately decided that naming it “A Summer in Rome” sounded more enticing. If anything, we should use more adventure metaphors in our Bible studies to remind us that studying the Bible is not only like reading a travel guide to an exotic place but it also involves time travel and imagination and prayerful watching and lis

More Good Days Together Mental Health America’s theme — More Good Days, Together — encourages us all to reflect on what a “good” day looks like, both for ourselves, and for our communities. Together, we can use that insight to connect people to the right support at the right time, and shape advocacy, education, and community engagement to make more good days possible for all. We invite you to reflect on what a “good day” looks like for you. “Good” doesn’t have to mean happy o

During May, Mental Health Awareness month, we focus on the importance of connection in mental health, addiction recovery, and wellness. Connection is a fundamental pillar of mental well-being because humans are not meant to exist in isolation. From our earliest days, emotional health has been shaped by relationships, shared meaning, and a sense of belonging. When people feel connected—to others, to purpose, or to something larger than themselves—they are more resilient in th

Just in case you’re not familiar with the expression “The 100 Days of May,” it is a colloquialism for the chaotic, high-intensity final month of the school year, commonly used by educators and parents. It symbolizes packing 100 days of hectic school events, projects, graduations, and preparations for summer into May’s 31 calendar days. My wife recently made an allusion to the “1,000 Days of May,” which might have been hyperbole but could also have been an acknowledgement that

For all of you who are inclined to attend the Easter Sunrise service this year on April 5 th at 7 a.m., I hope you will linger afterwards for our Easter Breakfast. I realize that Easter brunch will always be more popular than Easter Breakfast, but I love the tradition of Easter Breakfast. One of my favorite stories in the Gospel of John is the story of Jesus making breakfast for some of the disciples after they had spent a long night of fishing without catching anything (Joh

As we begin our Lenten journey together, I’d like to share something from church historian and author Kate Bowler on what Lent really entails. In a recent Instagram post she said, For the next thirty seconds, I’m going to de-influence Lent for you. If Lent is a reset, that is not Lent. If it’s a glow-up or a plan or forty days to get it together, that is not Lent. If it promises relief, or closure, or emotional resolution, that is not Lent. If it expects your grief to behave

During the month of February we continue with our sermon series on the Gospel of John. And this month the focus is on healing stories. We’ll witness the healing of a man who had some kind of infirmity for 38 years, the healing of a man blind from birth, and, perhaps the ultimate healing story, the raising of Lazarus. In John 5, the man with the 38-year-long infirmity keeps trying to crawl to a pool when it gets stirred up in hopes of being healed. When Jesus asks him dir

“The Gospel of Light and Love” During the month of January we will begin a new sermon series on the Gospel of John, and I’ve titled the sermon series: “The Gospel of Light and Love.” The first meta-metaphor (is that a word?) which we will explore is LIGHT. The Gospel of John begins by declaring that Christ is the LIGHT of the world, and we will explore what that means in our own day and time. Throughout the Gospel LIGHT is used as a metaphor for understanding (seeing). Ho

“Stay Awhile – Lessons in Divine Hospitality” You may be familiar with the expression, “Why don’t you pull up a chair and stay awhile?” In today’s fast-paced culture that expression might even seem a little quaint. But I’m becoming increasingly convinced that genuine hospitality is a gift that the church can give to anyone who’s exhausted from the rat race and ready to stop racing. This Advent, beginning November 30, Covenant will offer a book study of Stay Awhile—Lessons