Dear Caldwell, Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of teaching a workshop at a denominational youth conference. The workshop was titled “Radical Hospitality and the Future of the Church.” It was my honor to show the short film about the Caldwell resurrection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYDnVaveFPk&feature=player_embedded) and “unpack” the story of your church for what it might …
Dear Caldwell, Tomorrow, as a family, we will gather to give thanks for the ministry of Rev. Veronica Rogers among us. After worship, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall to hear Veronica celebrated in song, poetry and other expressions of appreciation. A bite to eat will be provided. Also, keep your eyes out for …
Dear Caldwell, Happy New Year … or, as I’ve been saying to some of you, Happy (secular) New Year. May God’s abundance fill your lives and the lives of those you love in 2013! Please mark your calendars for our special celebration of the ministry of Rev. Veronica Rogers among us in these last three …
Dear Caldwell, We will gather tonight at 5:30 p.m. for our Christmas Eve service – to hear the old, old story, to sing Christmas favorites and to celebrate the coming of the Light of the world. My meditation is titled “Christmas Through the Eyes of the Other.” So, hear the Good news: our wait is …
Dear Caldwell, Today I met someone for coffee. As I arrived, I saw a commotion at a store two doors down. Several dozen people were packed tightly around the store’s close front doors. Someone was announcing over a loudspeaker something about when the doors would open. The people on the street were shouting. Police arrived …
Dear Caldwell, What a rich and sensory worship service we shared this morning with many moments of quiet reflection and renewed hope. Great thanks to the choir and to the parents and volunteers who prepared our kids to sing! They were wonderful and brought us the Word about Christmas in their own powerful way. Their …
Dear Caldwell, Like many of you, I suppose, I’ve watched my share of CNN in the last 12 hours. Today, we have a chance to do something else that is important – to share love and fellowship in community as a way of dealing with our grief. In one sense, our first La Posada celebration …
Dear Caldwell, First things first on this tragic day: God weeps in this hour along with all of us. In this Advent season, we have already heard God’s reassurance through the prophet Isaiah, “Comfort, comfort O my people.” We may feel utterly paralyzed by the horror of what has happened in Connecticut. We may reach …
Dear Caldwell, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not overcome it ….” (John 1) In that spirit, we will gather tonight at 7 in the Fellowship Hall to name the darkness and claim the Light. Please join us for this quiet, contemplative, participatory service, followed by fellowship. In Christ, John
Dear Caldwell, “There will be signs . . . ,” the Gospel of Luke said as we began Advent. Everywhere we look, it seems there are signs of this is an upside-down Advent. Sign 1: Talk about your upside-down thinking. Brent Clevenger annually hosts a Christmas party to give away money to needy causes rather …
