As Christian people, we are called to profess hope.

In a world that seems hell-bent on violence and destruction and death, here we are, the people of God: singing and praying, serving and sharing all because we have hope for a world that can be better.

On Pentecost Sunday, we named before God the nations of the world, pleading for mercy and healing for those places and peoples torn by ancient animosities or terrorized by new fears.

Towards the end of April, I joined eight of my first call colleagues at Spirit in the Desert retreat center for our bi-annual and mandatory First Call Theological Education (FCTE) event.

What is Lent, exactly? Well, Lent marks a forty-day period leading up to Easter, and mirrors Jesus’ forty-day wilderness stay. Observing the season of Lent became a practice during the 4th century as a way for Christians to prepare for the holiest days in the church calendar.

I really enjoy developing goals. It has taken me years to figure this out, but I need to develop goals because I am easily distracted by possibilities and new ideas. I love new ideas. My imagination goes wild when someone comes forward and says something like: “Have you ever considered [fill in the blank] before? Might we try that out?”

Merry Christmas, people of New Journey! While many of my neighbors have begun removing Christmas lights from the exterior of their homes and the inflatable Christmas characters are slowly disappearing from lawns, the western church continues to celebrate the joy and the mystery of God come down in the person of Jesus.

This November, I traveled to Pinerock Camp and Retreat Center in Prescott, Arizona to attend First Call Theological Education (FCTE) with six of my first call colleagues, Bishop Deborah Hutterer of our Grand Canyon Synod, and Pastor Jacqui Pagel, Assistant to the Bishop for Candidacy and Faith Formation.

Someone once explained to me the difference between a “busy” calendar and a “full” calendar.