Every now and then, a metaphor pops into my brain that’s just too good to ignore. I love cooking and baking competitions. Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Chopped and The Great British Bake off. Chopped is a frantic Food Network show where chefs are handed a mystery basket of ingredients. As I was watching Chopped the other day,  I thought: Oh my goodness… this is also pastoring. To be honest, for a fleeting moment, I thought this metaphor applied during COVID pastoring too

Hi, moms. I see you. You’re trying to get your family out the door on a Sunday morning — socks that mostly match (optional), a snack bag for the toddler, a coloring book for the preschooler, and enough caffeine to survive an hour of “shhhh” whispers and Goldfish crumbs in the pews. You’re juggling spilled milk, missing shoes, and that one kid who suddenly can’t find their other shoe even though they were just wearing it. You’re not just looking for a church to attend — you’re

...ministry takes more than a balanced budget—it takes bold imagination, a little holy restlessness, and a willingness to try things that might seem unusual, risky, or even a little wild.

How long must the church wait before it joins the world that is spinning? I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately about midwives. Perhaps it's because a friend just had an adorable baby girl. I suppose part of the reason is that I am in my own transition time. I’ll post more about that later, but this theme of midwives keeps coming up for me. The theme of being a midwife in ministry isn't new. When I was at the Monastery of St. Gertrude many years ago for a clergy group m

How can congregations weather the liminal space of discerning their future? I’ve been thinking a lot about healthy discernment for...

What word would you choose to focus on for the entire year? In years past, as I entered into the new year, I made resolutions. For some,...

How a new succulent garden gave me new eyes to see hope in my midst.