Ten years ago or so I was invited to be the “inspirational” speaker at the holiday tree lighting in our neighborhood. Within the invite I was reminded that it was a “holiday” tree and accordingly my remarks should reflect the diversity of beliefs of our urban Northwest neighborhood. Rather than being offended that my beliefs, … More of lights and trees and stories
I will be the first to admit to having some irrational responses to random things. For instance, if I am shopping for an item in the store and it doesn’t have a price tag, I refuse to buy it. Once in a great while, if I’m in a store with a price check scanner in … More Fireplace deception
I find that in neighborhood work it helps to not do it alone. We all have different tendencies and talents. We all have unique lenses and come from various contexts. These cause us to pick up on different aspects of the same scenes. For example, this morning I’m sitting in a new local caffeine establishment. … More Pears and Pairs
So I’m sitting in a coffee shop, located in Powells bookstore, on Hawthorne in Southeast Portland watching a barista concoct a soy chai latte… for those of you unaware, you don’t get much more authentically Portland than that. Certainly not everyone would agree with me on this, but do you have any idea what it’s … More Sometimes it’s just a pig
It’s been two years since we made the emotional decision to close out a four year journey with our downtown faith community known as Common Table. A number of times these past few years I have been asked to do a “post mortum” of sorts. To be fair, no one has ever been insensitive enough … More moments of grace
About a month ago we were spending several days away with dear friends who have been a significant part of our lives and ministry for the better part of 3 decades. The trip may have involved a few wineries and some magnificent food. Most importantly it was a road trip with several hours of unscripted … More Unexpected places
For more than 10 years I’ve had a weekly ritual before practically every teaching opportunity. I’ll put my headphones (now airpods) on and I’ll listen to the Jars of Clay classic “Worlds Apart”. My prayer, as the words envelop my thoughts, always centers on allowing God to really take my world apart where it concerns … More Unraveled
