As a chaplain and a pastor I get a lot of questions about the afterlife. People want to know what happens in the moments after we die. I have heard a variety of answers from other pastors about this weighty and pertinent topic. Some of them use what I call Chutes & Ladders imagery, claiming …
Tag Archives: Matthew
Another Women’s Day
Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and I was busy reflecting on a post that had nothing to do with women’s rights. Frankly, I didn’t feel very compelled to write about how awesome women are on International Women’s Day — the world pretty much had that covered. I would prefer to write about the strength, dignity, and …
Being the Beloved
I preached on Palm Sunday last year, and wanted to post the video of the sermon as a supplement to today’s post, “Cheering or Jeering on Palm Sunday.” If you’re interested in watching the sermon, “Being the Beloved,” click here.
Cheering or Jeering on Palm Sunday
Alright, I know I’m about two weeks early in writing about Palm Sunday. I’m really excited to start edging toward the Passion Narrative, though, and I don’t want to cram all of the amazing stuff that happens in those texts into one short week. So I’m moving forward, and we’re going to dwell in the …
Mustard, Leaven, and Our Need to Let Things Grow
I have a very Type-A personality. I like being involved, giving my perspective, trying new things, and staying busy. And I love that God has given me this energy and drive. While having a Type-A personality definitely has its benefits, I’ve experienced some significant drawbacks as well. I often struggle to just let things be …
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Fighting Rest
Rest has been a tumultuous topic for me over the past two weeks. I went through three nights in which I couldn’t sleep, and after those I had to force myself to stay awake throughout the day. I then slept like a hibernating bear for the following two nights, couldn’t sleep the night after that, …
Silence and Sabbath
When was the last time that you experience silence? Not just quiet, but actual, peaceful silence. The kind that allows you to feel yourself breathe, listen to your heartbeat, and embrace your alive-ness a little bit more. Sabbath was created as a time for rest. We’ve heard this from the pulpit over and over again — …
Building a Fence
Have you ever given something up for Lent? My husband and I decided to this year, and we have also added a few healthy practices into our daily routines, in an effort to set these 40 days apart as especially sacred and worshipful. As a child I gave up chocolate for Lent one year. I …
Coping with The Wilderness
As I’m writing this post I am also preparing to bake a King Cake for the first time. A King Cake is a traditional Mardi Gras dessert that’s essentially a hybrid between cinnamon rolls and birthday cake, and it is delicious. I am bringing it to a Mardi Gras-themed Birthday Party and Crawfish Boil tonight. Had …
Shining Faces
Confession: I took down my Christmas tree today. I know that the appropriate window of time to take down a Christmas tree closed about three weeks ago, but I just couldn’t do it. My husband and I had a wonderful Christmas season, so we decided to leave our Charlie Brown-esque fake tree up through January, …
Pastor Melissa 