Discovering Grace and Us
Americans love the Lone Ranger.
Now, many of you may never have actually seen the Lone Ranger of TV lore like I did as a kid (yeah, I know I’m old), but believe me: You’ve seen the the Lone Ranger. Whether it’s Rambo, Jessica Jones or Deadpool, the myth of the lone enforcer—the one who has somehow suffered greatly and now exacts violent justice on evil doers—is an enduring American Idol. It’s celebrated and ruminated on in countless ways. It forms our imagination with a rel

We all have scars, but are we welcome?
I was out to lunch recently with a friend. Catching up with her, I mentioned I had a journal that asked a question a day and each page had a spot for five answers, as it was a five -year journal. She inquired as to what kind of questions were asked. Off the top of my head I shared one that I was sort of stuck on: What is one thing you wish you didn’t know? I think the reason I had been so stuck on it is because good or bad, everything I know makes me who I am today. All of u


An Affair of the Heart
So, fun fact about me: My first long-term romantic relationship was with Rick Springfield. For a totally made-up mirage that only ever existed in my head, I’m not gonna lie — it was a Many Splendored Thing. I could NOT get enough of that beautiful man! I loved him deeply, boldly, without reservation. And what’s not to love? He’s hot, obviously. But he’s also thoughtful and sensitive (I’m guessing), he smells insanely good (probably) and he’s one of the best kissers in all the


Discovering Community in Worship
Dobre Otra! Hola! Hei! That’s “howdy” in Russian, Spanish and Finnish, in case you’re wondering. Pretty impressive, huh? Not really. Few things have been more frustrating for me than my failed attempts at learning different languages. While I can spout a few memorized phrases or read a few sentences in Spanish, Russian, Turkish and Finnish, along with some ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek, I’m so far from fluent in any of them. Hell, I still struggle with basic English. In spit


Connections and Community
As the time for the discussion question, What has been your vision of heaven? started last week at worship, the first person in my group commented that in the past, she understood that when she died, God would give her a nice, big mansion. All to herself. As she’s progressed in her journey with Christ, she’s come to understand that is not the nature of the God she serves! We hear it a lot at church: We are made to live in community. Find your tribe. These are my people I’m “d
