An Ice agent holding a toddler

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Something about this photo stopped me. It wasn’t the tactical gear or the government patch. It wasn’t even the tension behind the camera: federal officers in Chicago, a raid unfolding, people watching in fear or confusion. It was this moment. An officer, in full gear, holding a small child.  The photographer, Derek Nielsen, isn’t a journalist. He’s a nature and conservation photographer who happened to capture this scene while documenting his city. No political agenda, no press badge, just a person with a camera, using his gift to bear witness.  Among Derek’s images that day were officers with helmets, batons, and covered faces. Some looked hardened,Read More →

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Over the weekend I heard a short clip from a recent sermon by Adam Hamilton. I’m glad I was sitting down, because the questions he quoted hit me hard and they’ve been haunting me since. Hamilton credited conservative pastor Joe Carter, who wrote them back in 2020. In the clip I saw, here are the two questions that hit me: At first I thought, Bingo! That’s it. That’s what’s happening across our society, left and right. We’re trading a living faith for a political identity. I can name folks on both sides who would answer “yes” to those two questions without even blinking. But theRead More →

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Last Saturday I was driving east on Route 38 between DeKalb and Geneva when I saw them coming the other way. A big, black, unmarked SWAT-like vehicle followed by a few unmarked cars. Men in tactical gear with familiar gator coverings around their necks. It wasn’t a chase; they weren’t in a hurry. Just commuting. But I knew immediately who they were: ICE.  The sight jolted me back to 2018. Back then, I was sitting outside a Rochelle elementary school, watching oddly parked unmarked cars, wondering if I was about to see a raid as buses unloaded children. My stomach was tight. I ran throughRead More →

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One of the habits that shapes me is starting each day with Scripture. My first 7–12 minutes after waking are spent with an app that offers a short opening prayer, a prayer of confession, two Scripture readings, the Lord’s Prayer, and a blessing for the day. It’s not Bible study or sermon prep. It’s what I do for my own spiritual practice. Bleary-eyed, I simply read it, pray it, let it pass through me. It’s part of my routine as I move on to a workout, then cup of coffee and the day’s tasks. But sometimes a verse lingers. Sometimes the Holy Spirit won’t letRead More →

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Coming home from my worship planning retreat, I find myself reflective. It happens every year I drive. After 5 days in the mountains, praying and planning, then driving 1000 miles home. It leaves me both tired and full. Tired because the work is intense. Full because God is faithful. And it leaves me plenty of room to think. As I returned this year, after pondering the whole drive home, there were a few prominent thoughts that came to mind, notably three things of which I’m especially proud. These aren’t the only things worth celebrating, but they are three reminders of how God is moving amongRead More →

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As you read this, I’m in my final few days of preparation for my annual worship planning retreat in the Wet Mountain Valley of Colorado. At 8,000 feet in an international dark sky community, the air is thinner, the stars are brighter, and the cell signal is thankfully scant for miles. It’s the same location, the same rhythm, and the same prayer request I’ve made 5 times now: that God would meet me here in this thin space and guide our church’s path for the year ahead. I’ll be away from Wednesday, August 27, through Tuesday night, September 3, taking a few days afterward toRead More →

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There’s a term that’s been making the rounds lately, but it describes something that’s been around for… well… forever. It’s called the “Sunday Scaries”. If you’ve done child-rearing, you might know exactly what I mean. It’s that feeling of anxiety or dread that creeps in on Sunday night before school. Maybe it’s because you procrastinated on homework that’s due Monday. Maybe it’s disappointment that you didn’t get everything done you hoped for over the weekend. Or maybe it’s knowing you have to face an unpleasant situation, or a lingering conflict once Monday arrives. Of course, this isn’t just a kid thing (notice what I didRead More →

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I woke up early last Sunday morning, enjoying the cooler weather with the windows open. It made me think of classic Door County weather: lower humidity with temps ranging from the mid-50s to mid-70s. Just 72 hours earlier, we were camping in Door County, and the weather wasn’t nearly as pleasant. In fact, it was much smokier up there than it is down here. That’s when this blog came to mind even before dawn. I started thinking about how the past two summers of camping with my family have felt… different. Not just because the girls are getting older or the campsites are booked faster,Read More →

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More than ten years ago, I was working with a coach who began every one of our monthly sessions with the same question: “What are you reading?” At first, I found her question annoying. Mainly because I’m not a big reader. I don’t breeze through novels, nor do I have a book on my nightstand. I tend to stick to reading that’s closely tied to my trade: books about theology, church leadership, Bible study resources, or spiritual formation. That’s my jive. If I have a book in my hand it’s usually for a utilitarian purpose. So after hearing the question a few too many times,Read More →

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As August approaches, I begin gathering my notes, working on my packing list, and getting ready to head to Colorado to get off the grid to spend a week planning for the coming year. It’s far more work than it is rest and relaxation. I work from dawn to dusk daily on the kind of work I need in the stillness of that mountain air. I listen for God to speak and lead me as I seek to lead us as a church. I go up the mountain with a Bible, my laptop, two close preacher friends, and something else I treasure: your input andRead More →