Pastor's Blog

Have you ever heard a sermon and thought, “Yeah, but. . .”  You had questions, you wanted to go deeper on a certain point, you needed clarification on a topic?

I had always heard of “Southern hospitality” while growing up in Buffalo NY, but I was struck by the warm smiles and “bless your heart’s” that abounded upon my arrival to Charlotte more than 30 years ago.

A few years ago, I stopped watching the news. I had thought that being a grown up meant I needed to watch the 11 o’clock news before bedtime so I was informed for the next day, but eventually I stopped when I realized it was disrupting my sleep.

Unless you are the Unibomber, living in a shack in the middle of nowhere, embedded in the woods of Montana wearing tinfoil on your head, can you really, truly be off the grid? 

What is the greatest sacrifice you’ve ever made? I know sometimes it can seem like sparring even a moment is a huge sacrifice. But, really, when we think about it our time is a fraction of our lives.

This weekend I graduated from United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania. I finally finished my Master of Sacred Theology degree (STM), and it only took me ten years!

I was in a group and a beautiful sentiment was offered in our conversation: there is no such thing as a bad prayer. They’re right.

When I introduce Family Ministry in our New Member class, I like to ask the question, “What are your first memories of church?”

My wife left me, well, for a few days as she went on a trip. I had our two boys, and my job was to be Daddy. I have been a father for a while now. This is old hat.

With the vote on April 14 to cease worship at Christ Concord and to put the land up for sale, we find ourselves looking towards the horizon for a new vision from God to emerge...

We are starting a huge congregation-wide project! It is a new endeavor, and it doesn’t involve donations or service hours. It involves prayer!

On April 14, following the late service, we will have a congregational meeting to discuss and vote upon the future vision and direction of Christ Concord.

There is something truly humbling about washing feet. That’s probably why Jesus said that if you are to be a leader you must be a servant, you must wash feet. 

The safety of my frozen lake and gray sky 800 miles in the past, I wait in a winter sun. My bag, filled with virtuosic etudes by Chopin and the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies, carries the truly daunting:

The Saturday before last we had Story Day. Story Day is offered for our second graders who are ready to receive instruction to take their First Communion.