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Earlier this year, before the current conflict with Iran began, someone from our congregation reached out to me. This person was raised in our church. They are someone we have loved, supported, and prayed for over the years. They are also currently serving in the military, one of the names we lift in prayer week after week. They reached out because they were wrestling with moral and spiritual questions. Questions like: What does God want from me? What does faithfulness look like in military service? What happens if I am asked to take a life, directly or indirectly, in the course of my duties? TheseRead More →

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On Sunday, May 17, 2026, United Methodists around the world will share in something extraordinary. Across nearly 30,000 United Methodist churches worldwide, congregations will be invited to pray, worship, and give together through Miracle Sunday, a global offering supporting theological education outside the United States. At UMCG, Miracle Sunday will also be our 2026 Bishop’s Appeal Offering, which means our giving will join both the worldwide United Methodist effort and the mission priorities of the Northern Illinois Conference. This offering is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: God raises up leaders through the generosity of the church. In December 2024, three United Methodists wereRead More →

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A couple of weeks ago, we stood with the disciples on the lakeshore, staring at five loaves, two fish, and a crowd far larger than anyone could reasonably feed. The math did not work. The need was too great. The offering was too small. And yet Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” Then Jesus took what was offered, blessed it, broke it open, and gave it back until everyone was fed and there were baskets left over. As I said in the sermon on April 26th, “Every gift matters. Every offering goes into the basket. And Jesus takes what’s in the basket and doesRead More →

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I had this thought the other day what if someone strapped a GoPro to a pastor during a capital campaign season? I was inspired by those video where you put a camera on your outdoor pet and watch the footage to see where they’ve been. (You can watch one of these videos here, but it might make you motion sick.) If you put one on me, you wouldn’t just see the public moments you are most used to like on Sunday morning. We’d see the meetings, the conversations, the in-between spaces and a lot of time at the computer. I’m sure it wouldn’t make forRead More →

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Over the past few weeks, our children have been spending time with the feeding of the multitude story in Sunday School; you know, the one where a small lunch becomes more than enough. They’ve been wondering about it in all kinds of ways. What does it mean to share? How do we decide what to keep, what to give, what to save? What happens when what we have doesn’t seem like enough? Through games, crafts, conversations, and a lot of imagination, they’ve been exploring this simple but powerful idea: That what seems small…can become something more. And honestly, I think they’re onto something, because there’sRead More →

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There’s a line from an article I read a while ago that came to mind as I reflected on our FLOW sermon series and upcoming earth day: “The earth spoke, and he listened.” The article tells the story of a man named Joe, a dowser, which, if I’ve gone a bit too southern for you, is someone who walks the land with a simple forked branch or copper rods, searching for underground water. There are no maps or techy instruments, this is attention…feel…something deeper than can be explained. At one point, the writer describes watching Joe walk quietly along a trail until, “The branch yankedRead More →

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We’re in the season of Easter now, a time when the story doesn’t end, but keeps unfolding in unexpected ways and new life keeps finding us, even in the most ordinary places. So, as I’ve been reflecting on our upcoming sermon series, exploring the stories and what it means to live into the flow of God’s grace, I’ve found myself returning to this story by the water… You see, I’ve heard it said before that when the disciples went fishing after the resurrection, it meant they were giving up. That they were simply tossing in the towel and returning to their old lives, leaving everythingRead More →

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Every couple of years, I find myself coming back to this question. ‘What Happens on Holy Saturday?’ The day between Good Friday and Easter. At our house, we kind of joke that I’ve turned Holy Saturday into “project day.” I’m out in the yard or fixing something. Maybe I’m changing light fixtures or changing the oil. Whatever it is, I’m mostly keeping busy, distracting myself from the pressure of Easter morning. And this year will barely be different. We’ll be with my extended family and packing to head out of town, getting ready to travel to Mississippi to help a friend with bereavement work nextRead More →

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There are weeks that move quickly, and then there is Holy Week. This is the week where the story of Jesus slows down. We’re invited not to rush ahead to Easter morning, but to walk step by step with Jesus. Through the cheers of Palm Sunday, into the tension of the temple, around the table, and ultimately to the cross… and the shock and quiet that follows. Sometimes I think many of us don’t quite know what to do with all of that. We believe this week and its story matters. So, we show up. And still, the weight of this set- apart week canRead More →

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I’ve always been someone who connects deeply to music—the beat, the lyrics, the feeling a song carries. I tend to find myself in songs, relating to them in ways that surprise me. At the same time, I also love the kind of music that simply fills the background while I’m driving, cooking, walking, or just trying to reset after a long day. I don’t know about you, but music is woven into my spiritual life. Sometimes it gives me words I couldn’t find or brings comfort I didn’t know I needed. Sometimes music can help us feel something we’ve been avoiding. And sometimes…it just makesRead More →