Homemade chicken pot pie. A dinner invitation I can’t refuse. I rearrange my schedule. Anticipation carries me through the day. I text my family members, “Hope you can make it!” Comfort food. All we have to do is respond. Show up. “Happy are those who will feast in God’s kingdom.” Luke 14:15b (CEB) Jesus didn’t say this.
Read MoreAs we journey together, I increasingly appreciate hearing insights from various members of our community. May these thoughts and reflections from Paige Weston bless you as well. -Renée On Sunday morning I heard Kevin Hamilton say, “The recovery of rest, the rediscovery of home, is not a project. It is a response to a call,
Read MoreTransparency. Vulnerability. Authenticity. Biblical leadership tenets long before they were business principles. The psalmist David, that king from whom the Messiah descended, embraced them wholeheartedly. But it feels more complicated, or maybe just riskier, in our own lives. Teachers, business leaders, university employees, social workers. People with jobs and responsibilities and reputations to uphold. Each
Read MoreMornings are dark; the days get shorter. The local chickens lay fewer eggs. I just ordered a sunrise simulation alarm clock. Reading the reviews, I am reminded of the many effects of light- and darkness. On mood, health, and motivation. “People don’t light a lamp and then put it in a closet or under a
Read MoreGod’s recruiting and hiring practices do not match standard HR procedures. Jonah did not apply for the job of doomsday preacher. Then again, I get the feeling there were no applicants. That’s the rub; some jobs are more popular than others. The Lord’s word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Get up and go to Nineveh,
Read MoreMostly we do church as usual. Every Sunday. Same time, same place. Worship, Prayer, Teaching. Each of us serving once a month in our area of technology, singing, kids, or hospitality. The rhythm of our lives of faith and community. For years. Jesus’ ministry was like that. Every Sabbath teaching in a synagogue. Traveling around.
Read MoreTucking in the edges of our wedding quilt to prepare for a young houseguest, I was contemplating family. Colorful squares of trees, red wagons, houses, and hearts lovingly sewn by relatives and friends. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. Weddings showcase these relationships- family by birth and by choice. Laboring in the kitchen, decorating the venue, staying
Read MoreElizabeth Rieke has been a worship leader and active participant of NCF for many years. Here she shares her passionate ministry expressed through her work as a hospice social worker. May it touch the healing parts of your heart as well. -Renée Camp Healing Heart is coming! Every fall, these words bring stress and bubbling excitement
Read MoreAslan is on the move. What? Springing to mind surprisingly, years since my childhood devouring of Narnia books. I don’t remember reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my children. (Likely, Jubal had that pleasure 🙂 But yesterday I caught a glimpse. A forgotten email from five months ago received an unexpected response. After months of
Read MoreVern Fein has been a teacher, a pastor, an advocate for justice, a believer, and an active community member for many years. He shares here how his new book (available Sept 15 at NCF) emerged from his experiences of coming to faith from the radical counterculture of the Sixties. May his story inspire and intrigue
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