Urban Gathering Center

SONGS ABOUT FEET

When I was a child, we sang a song at church about feet.  I thought it was odd at the time but everyone else was doing it so, "ok".  Don’t get me wrong, I loved songs about body parts. “Do your ears hang low” was one of my favorites and even a song abou...

GRAMMAR LESSON 

One of the great laments of modern Christianity is that it has become a noun.  Much of what I read abut faith, is about the what rather than the how.  To be a follower of Jesus has gone from following Jesus to being a follower of Jesus.  The point of thi...

TRANSFORMATION 

On March 4th, Spirit of Peace held the dedication of the, “Urban Gathering Center.”  It is a 32 bed gathering center for groups who want to come into the city to explore, serve and learn.  The dedication was a milestone event for our little church and it...

BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM OTHER MOTHERS AND MISTERS 

One day at Synod Convention, just after my graduation from Seminary, I had a chance encounter with a friend affectionately know as Doctor Abe.  As we talked I asked him what was happening down at his church, Divine Wo...

FORGIVENESS

For much of my life I have seen Holy Communion only as a vehicle to wash away my sins and start again.  I have many meaningful memories of times that I was weighed down with guilt.  I came forward, and knelt at the communion rail to pour out my heart.  For t...

Who Sparks Our Creative Passions

SPIRITUAL RETREAT

I have tried to take spiritual retreats where I go to a quiet place armed only with my bible, a journal, and my thoughts.   It usually is a miserable time.  I struggle to hear God’s whisper of truth just for the sake of...

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

I do not claim to have ever heard the voice of God, at least not audibly.  How great would that be… though maybe a bit terrifying.  I guess it depends on what God says.  I believe it is possible that God speaks audibly to people, but deep down I doubt it...

A BUNCH

We live in a world where with just a few clicks you can have a pizza delivered, view a video of a piano playing cat, and apply for a mortgage.  “I just googled the question, how much data is on the internet?”  The short answer, a bunch.  We have the power at our...

FAITH HEALING

There are certain things you can’t unsee.  I once saw someone miraculously healed. It leaves quite an impression.  My mom and dad were involved with something called the, “Charismatic Movement” back in the early eighties.  I remember going to the, “Copper...

GENEROSITY

There are some things in life that make us feel alive and some things that inspire us to truly live.  What I mean is, I sometimes go in search of things that will make my heart race and my senses heightened.  They might involve behaviors like downhill skiing...