Several people have asked me about my relationship with MBPPC after my retirement. Let me share a few things in order to clarify how such a relationship works in the Presbyterian Church (USA), our denomination.
Read MoreLast Sunday, in a sermon based on Romans 8:37-39, I emphasized the purpose of the Christ’s Church as being to proclaim God’s unshakable love for us. I opened with a story of a young woman seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church who, when asked in an examination by the Detroit Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry, “What difference does Jesus make in your life?”, burst into tears. So powerful was her experience of Christ’s love, she could not express it in words, only in tears of joy.
Read MoreIchiro was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame last weekend. His speech was in the same style as his baseball playing: humble, steady, and skillfully executed. I always liked the way Ichiro approached the game of baseball. He was a disciplined hitter, learning from each at-bat, always looking to advance the team’s scoring more than his own statistical record. Along the way, he did both splendidly.
Read MoreSummer, as the cliché goes, is flying by. This Sunday, July 20th, I will preach the last of my sermon series “Lee’s Favorite Stories from Each of the Four Gospels”. I will be away on Sunday, July 27th. The Rev. Keith Tanis, who has been filling in for me during the past few years, will preach that day.
Beginning on Sunday, August 3rd, I will preach a series of six sermons — my last six as pastor at MBPPC — based on the Scriptures that have stuck with me the most over the years.
Read MoreWhen I have met with people planning to get married at MBPPC, I have used several resources in pre-marital counseling. One of these is a book by a psychologist named William Bridges — “Managing Transitions”. Bridges’ theory is that all transitions in life, whether a “good” one like getting married or a “bad” one like someone dying, involve a change in who we perceive and experience ourselves to be. For example, a person who marries experiences themselves moving past their self-concept as “single” to a new self-concept as “married”.
Read MoreLast Sunday, I preached about children — that children are not the future of the church; they are the church. And that we adults can both provide guidance to them in their spiritual lives…and they to us!
Read MoreAlmost everyone knows what it's like to prepare for a house sitter. Although “The List” is probably more often sent via email or text, I still remember taking care of a neighbors' houses or apartments in the days when one would walk into the kitchen and find on the counter several sheets of paper delineating the tasks: take in mail, water plants, how to run appliances (often with detailed descriptions of the workarounds for loose knobs and latches, leaks, balky locks, etc), take out and bring in garbage cans. And so on.
Read MoreThank you to the MBPPC Session members, and everyone who made our Pentecost Appreciation Sunday an inspiring time. I am always amused and grateful to watch the pews empty out as we call forward people who have been the leaders and drivers of our various ministries and mission work. Truly, we are the body of Christ as we share the ministry together.
Read MoreThis Sunday, June 8th, is the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Christian Church. That description may sound rather dry and abstract to you. So, here is how I have always regarded Pentecost:
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