(Part I) Most of you know that back in the summer of 2010 I climbed to the summit of Mt. Rainier. Last year, as you also know, I reached the summit of Mt. Baker. In fact, of Washington State’s five volcanoes, I’ve been to the summit of four. On all these occasions the sky was blue, the weather was perfect, the views were spectacular. There’s a reason people use the phrase “mountain-top experience” to describe an emotional high. But mountain climbers know there’s more to the story than that. … [Read more...]

There have been a slew of films featuring comic book heroes over the course of the last few years. One of the conventions in all these films is to tell the superheroʼs origin story, which unpacks who the character was before they got their superpowers. This plot device is based on the assumption that how a character begins is important for audiences to understand where they end up. Those who compiled the scriptures had a similar idea. Our origin story is written right into the beginning of the … [Read more...]

Last Wednesday I was invited as a guest to a Christian men’s book and Bible study in Auburn. Nine of us gathered to share a potluck meal, a check-in time, and the study itself. I was the only pastor in the group and was younger than almost everyone because this is a retired men’s Bible study. But as remarkable as all this is, what’s really impressive is that this group of men from different denominations has been meeting in the same home every week for fifteen years. Each of us chooses who or … [Read more...]

I have lived in Seattle for nearly four years now, and I am still surprised at how the city reacts to snow. Even on Tuesday afternoon, when there wasnʼt even a cloud in the sky, schools were closing early, businesses were locking their doors, and people were running to the grocery store to get stocked up. Like some of you, I grew up in the Midwest and the thought of an entire city shutting down for 8-10 inches of snow seems absolutely ridiculous. The fact that such a forecast could inspire such … [Read more...]

(Recording excerpt from Martin Luther King, Jr’s, “I Have A Dream” speech) It’s always humbling to follow the best, which means it’s really hard for an ordinary preacher to follow Martin Luther King, Jr., from the pulpit. Many of you recognize the speech. What you just heard was an excerpt from the Rev. Dr. King’s 1963 I Have A Dream speech. Martin Luther King had a Godly dream: following the teachings of Jesus Christ, a dream of equality, justice, and love. Tomorrow our nation honors the … [Read more...]

This past week I was reading a book by Jerome Berryman, a man who lost his wife to cancer two years ago. In the book’s introduction the author writes of their great love for one another and the great happiness they experienced in their relationship together. Berryman makes a statement in this book that has stayed with me all week. He asks: Do you know what you get when you mix lots of happiness with lots of sadness? You get joy! I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Here’s a man who has lost … [Read more...]