Dear Grace Family: I am currently reading Adam Hamilton’s latest book, entitled “Wrestling With Doubt, Finding Faith.” Many of you know that I consider Adam Hamilton’s writing very consistent with my personal theology, and I appreciate his ability to simplify complex ideas. In his current book, Hamilton writes, “Christian Faith does not see God as a human-like being. It sees humans as…

Dear Grace Family: I have mentioned before that I enjoy the daily devotional writings of Fr. Richard Rohr. Recently, he wrote the following: “Having faith doesn’t have to do with being perfect. It has to do with staying in relationship, hanging in there, holding on to union as tightly as God holds on to us. It’s not a matter of being correct…

Dear Grace Family: Peter Marty, the editor of The Christian Century magazine, is one of my favorites. Recently, he wrote an article about the practices of faith. He said, “Faith is a way of life that acquires its layers and contours incrementally, often imperceptibly.” His point was that our faith grows deeper over time as we encounter relationships with people from all…

Recently, I read an article entitled, “The 80/20 Rule is a Problem for churches.” The author, an experienced pastor, explains that even though it is a common observation that 20% of the people in a church do 80% of the work, this is not good for churches. This is because the gospel message, and the life of the early church in Acts,…

Dear Grace Family: Have you ever heard the advice to “keep your expectations low and you will not be disappointed”? I have often struggled with this advice because it suggests that having high expectations of others will inevitably lead to disappointment. Sometimes this is true, and sometimes it is not. But the real benefit of keeping our expectations low is that we…

This is my last Gracevine article for 2023, and as I look back over this year, I am especially grateful for the Grace UMC community. I see us living into the vision of the church as a “beloved community” in which we share each other’s burdens and sorrows as well as our joys. We are connected as members of the body of…

The weekend of the Grace UMC Christmas cantata is here! This year’s cantata is entitled “Rhapsody in Bluegrass”, and we offer two performances. The first is Saturday, December 16th at 6pm, and the second is Sunday, December 17th at 10am. Come to see one or both, and remember to invite friends! You will not be disappointed! The next couple of weeks will go by…

We are already two weeks into the Advent season here at Grace, and I hope you have enjoyed reflecting on the themes of Hope and Peace. Last Sunday, Pastor Beth shared an excellent message on the annunciation. I keep remembering the three important lessons from that message: submit to God’s plan, live with an expectation of His presence, and be still and listen…

Our church campus, from the sanctuary to the church office to the preschool, looks beautiful with the Christmas decorations. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the decoration efforts. I encourage you to look around when you are on our campus and enjoy the Advent spirit.  We are hosting two wonderful young families for Family Promise this week. I had the opportunity…

Colleen and I returned home Sunday evening after a wonderful trip that we had postponed for a year. I was able to watch last Sunday’s service online upon our return, and it made be proud and grateful for our church. We have many gifted people here at Grace, and the Holy Spirit is alive in this place. On this Thanksgiving weekend, this is something to celebrate!…