An Ice agent holding a toddler

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

This time of year, gardens and farmers’ markets (and even our own fellowship hall) are often overflowing with tomatoes. Not just the neat, red, uniform kind lined up in grocery store bins, but heirloom tomatoes in all their wild unique beauty. Some are striped and spotted, others are lumpy and uneven. They come in every shade you can imagine, from deep purple to golden yellow. And there’s nothing quite like a tomato warmed and ripened by the sun, sliced open and sprinkled with a little salt. Or that perfect, simple southern classic, a tomato and mayo sandwich. The flavor is unlike anything that traveled milesRead More →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

I don’t know about you, but it seems like every week (or day!) brings new reasons to feel unsettled. Whether it’s global conflicts, natural disasters, political drama, or the quieter struggles happening in our own homes and communities, we’re living in a season where certainty feels hard to come by. In times like these, it can be tempting to think faith requires us to have simple answers or steady confidence. But the Bible shows us something different: a long line of people who dared to wrestle with God, to ask hard questions, and to push back when things didn’t make sense. Jacob wrestled with GodRead More →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →

Sticky
By:
On:
In: Pastor's Blog

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 →