Dear Central Church Family, Belated Happy New Year! I hope the holidays offered you some measure of God’s presence and love. I know I found that goodness in my life in recent weeks. As we move into a new year together, I’m grateful for many things but, most of all, I am thankful for you–… Read More »

This Christmas, I Want a Whole Lot More/Less   I was complaining to one of you in the church recently, about my need to downsize the stuff that fills my house. Like so many USAmericans, it is alarmingly easy and seductive to accumulate so many possessions that they begin to sort of possess us. At… Read More »

Dear Centralites, Church consultant and coach, Susan Beaumont, has written at length about the liminal times of life. The word liminal means something like “neither here nor there.” A liminal season is a time of uncertainty, of watching and waiting, a time between the now and the not yet. Beaumont says, “life is full of… Read More »

You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill will not be hidden; … So let your light shine before others.                      -Jesus of Nazareth You ever notice when reading the Gospel that Jesus seems to actually believe his followers can change the world? Not only that, but these same followers… Read More »

Dear Fellow Centralites, Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music festival. Most of us remember that muddy mess of music and if not, the tunes made famous that weekend still get frequent radio play. I recently heard one those “Summer of ‘69” songs: “No Time,” by The Guess Who. It includes the… Read More »

YOUNG & STRONG & GOD-SEEKING Nothing we ever do to affirm a young person is ever wasted! I am fresh off of a week helping lead a kayak adventure camp for our UMC conference. There was plenty of fresh air, hikes over mountains, deep conversations around the campfire, and the beauty of Lake Superior. Our… Read More »

Dear Friends, I’ve been thinking about graphs lately. I’m not mathematically inclined, so I like mine with pictures, like the pizza pictograph here. My choice would have been veggie pizza, but I guess that choice doesn’t register enough votes to count. Oh well; pizza, no matter how you slice it, is good! Our recent church… Read More »

GOD SHOWS UP, INSIDE & OUT “God is in all things”   -Ignatius of Loyola This June marks a milestone for me. I’ve served as one of your pastors here at Central Church for a full decade. And while I’ve no interest in using this column to reminisce on  the past,  I do want to name… Read More »

Dear Friends, Spring has sprung and the church season of Easter is calling up resurrection life everywhere. Central Church was busting with this life on Easter Sunday as over 1100 people attended worship services. The Easter message reminds us that Christ is alive and on the move; empowering his people, the church, to be signs… Read More »

“I know I made some mistakes, but I just want to get out of here and work to support my family”. This was how the 30-something earnest man in orange began our conversation as we sat in the visitor room at the Grand Traverse County Jail last week. I have come to know the names… Read More »