I have always been something of a homebody. Not in the traditional sense of preferring to stay “at home” rather than going out with friends or family, but in the sense that I always long to live in a places where I nestle in and find, “my people.” Home not just as a building but a place to belong — a place to be from and a place to go to. What a powerful longing “home” is in the human heart. Whether you are a natural homebody like me or are simply grateful to have a roof over your head, home is that place that we promise ourselves we can go to at the end of a long day. It is place we build a life with family, a literal and figurative shelter in the storm. And yet what an elusive thing it can be to find...

As you read this, I will be in Los Angeles convening a group of volunteers from the Western United States to evaluate Church Polity examinations… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me explain briefly how I got here. In 2008, I was invited to become a member of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry. This is a group of pastors and elders who oversee the process of those preparing for ministry in the PC(USA). After my first meeting filled with terminology and processes I didn’t understand, I asked Rev. Fran Park, “Why are elders on this committee? We have no idea what it takes to become a minister. How are we supposed to mentor a student through this process?” Fran gave me a lesson on our shared governance...

These last few weeks I returned to a spiritual practice that I have not done in awhile: Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina, a Latin term meaning, "divine reading," is an ancient practice of listening for God while reading the scriptures. It can be done alone or in community. The idea is to read through a brief passage of scripture several times, listening with your heart for a word or a phrase that sticks out to you, and reflecting where God might be speaking to your life. Sometimes there is a word or a phrase that will stand out immediately. Other times, there is not. I love this practice for all kinds of reasons. Namely, I love that it is a very simple practice that puts me in touch with my inner life and thus finding communion with God. My life is so busy and chaotic that slowing down and listening with my hear takes practice. It forces me to go...

One of the great teachers of my life, the once Jesuit priest Ivan Illich (d. 2002), once said, "I have no interest in 'saving the planet,' but I have every interest in walking decently on the earth." This was not, as it might sound, a statement against the environment. The author of Energy and Equity could hardly be said to lack environmental concern. The statement was, instead, a call for perspective, proportion, and attention to the real in a life. There's no such thing as everything. One can't take it all in. One can live where one is, aware of the world around but not overly caught up in distorted dramas that may or may not represent much of what is. And so it's perspective I want to write about this week. It comes to mind because of the events of the past days that have gotten so much press beginning with the brutal killing of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three with him on September 11. Demonstrations of varying sizes...

Roughly a month ago Brandon and I made a major life decision to change the course of our life, to leave family and friends, and to move to a new community. Once we made that decision, we then had the burden, and the gift, of sharing our decision with those friends and family. That process has been heart wrenching. It is hard to explain to people why you would change something that seems to be going so well, but that really isn’t the focus of this blog post. What I would like to focus on is what I have learned over the last few weeks. It is interesting how God chooses to speak to us. I was inspired by a man from our congregation who recently passed away and how he faced the end of his life with grace and truly waited upon the Lord, seeking...

We interrupt our regular broadcast for a program note... Ok, cheesy, but true! In case you missed it, about a week and a half ago 25 families from PPC spent the weekend together at Pine Summit Camp in Prescott, Ariz., for Pinnacle's first annual Family Camp. The weekend was designed to help families better connect with other church families as well as with one another. We spent time playing games — kids vs. parents Bible Twister! — enjoying the great outdoors, displaying our talents, and worshipping together. There was also intentional time for learning and growing for parents and kids. Parents gathered for time in small groups to share challenges and learn about ways to increase faith in their family's everyday life, while kids and teens made T-shirts for the walk at the Phoenix...

I'd like to steal from myself this week. I've been thinking about how God can move within us and not just outside of us — change more than our minds, but transform our minds by reshaping our hearts. I remembered a story that I'd written about before, and I felt like I wanted to share it again. So here it is, a story retold. It's excerpted from Where the Light Shines Through (Brazos Press, 2005), pp, 16-18: I knew an Englishman I’ll call Reggie. He told me of an event that still puzzled him. I knew Reggie to be an intelligent and committed person in general, but in telling me this story he appeared more aware and attentive than usual, full of consciousness and sensation. Now Reggie had for some time been an active member of the SWSO (called “Sweezo”), the Socialist Workers Student Organization in Britain. His membership in this organization was a well-considered expression of his theologically...