Blogs

Go slow. Pay attention. Keep the essentials close. Be present. Enjoy the scenery. Know when it is time to move on. And go slow. Pastor Leah 

While I do my best to not spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I have been thinking about the practice of reducing ~ simmering or boiling down a sauce such that the chemistry is changed into a new compound, with different and more intense flavors than when you began. Simmering down. Reducing. Ending with a product that is more intense than when you ...

This afternoon at our Growing Hope Globally {our partners in working against world hunger} meeting, the chair of the committee began with a Word from Galatians 5:4.                          For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment,           ...

Some of my favorite photos are reflections ~ when the water is still enough to produce a clear and beautiful likeness of that which is above. Two of the key factors are placidness and a remarkable image to be replicated. And now the question… What do you suppose your spirit reflects? Pastor Leah 

Sunday's gospel is from St. Matthew and concludes with Jesus' invitation, 'Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.' I'm wondering if there is anyone who isn't feeling at least a bit weary these days. And some are just plain worn out. Stressed out. Wired up with anxiety. Overwhelmed. Done. Hear the Good News. The Word isn't just about...

Found at Gear Up, a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. 'Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.' Like gratitude... Or mercy... Or love... Or grace... But how? How are those attributes etched on our spirits?  Do you suppose that our attitudes and behaviors will be transformed if/when we recognize that God...

 A twist for Sunday. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.' 'What is hateful to you, do not do to others.' Either way… Pastor Leah

One of the books that I am currently reading is The Faith Club. It was recommended to me quite some time ago but I had not picked it up until now. As it turns out, now seems to be incredibly good timing. The book is authored by three women ~ one who is Jewish, the second a Muslim and the third a Christian. While I am only about a quarter of the way...

The sign sits in a Silverton front yard; it reads 'cheering you on'. Cheering you on… We have now surpassed 15 weeks of quarantine. That is a long time. For some, life has been amended and for others, life has been absolutely turned up-side-down. Beyond anxiety as to what the virus might do to our bodies, metal health concerns are growing ~ for our...

Perhaps one of the most important 'Covid-lessons' for me has been to hold things lightly. Yes, we are still making plans. Still preparing. And yet, this season is so filled with ambiguity, that we cannot see what is just around the corner. From face-masks to business practices, from Live Stream to gathered worship, we do not know what's next. Will ...

Heavenly Father, you entrusted your Son Jesus, the child of Mary, to the care of Joseph, an earthly father. Bless all fathers and father-figures as they care for their families. Give them strength and wisdom, tenderness and patience; support them in the work they have to do, protecting those who look to them, as we look to you for love and salvatio...

An unidentified messenger left wisdom on the office white-board last night. Be blessed as you allow the Spirit to stir in your soul ~ Pastor Leah love sharing mindfulness priorities bold caring secret blessings prayer creative giving focus peace meditation 

It is a tic-tac-toe grid, taped in the window of the Methodist Church. There are a couple of Xs and one O. It begs for a next move. Each time I see it, I ponder what's next? What's next? What a question! Governments, schools, businesses, health care workers, families, churches, we all want to know, what's next? I guess this goes into the same categ...

{From a member of our community; shared with permission.} It was in the small smiles of satisfaction on the faces of the crew and the neighbors gathered on the curb, coffee cups in hand. During the post-event-discussion taking place around the big tree-trimming-cherry-picker-truck, it was confirmed that, yes, the kitten had been in the big fir tree...

'We are all in the same storm but in different boats.' Whatever our vantage point, friends we are in this together! Pastor Leah

I am often thinking about 'creating space' these days. Before I go any further, it is important for me to disclose to you that 'creating space' is part of how God has hard-wired me. I remember a situation during my seminary days. It unfolded around one of those horrid group projects. We had been put into the group with an objective but all that we ...

Not unlike when Westboro Baptist Church came to town, Friday was another day that my call left me no options except to stand. Pastor Manuel and I met in the open space that had once housed a Silverton Grade School. Masked. Collared. Maintaining the social distance of a quarantine, we stood with you. We stood for you. We stood with people who have b...

A parking lot with a face lift! 

Buen Camino! Literally it means 'Good Path' but it also has the larger insinuation of {have a} 'Good Journey'. Buen Camino was the greeting called out from one pilgrim to another along the Camino De Santiago and sometimes even from the villagers that we met along the way greeted us in such a manner. Early in the day, early in the journey, there see...

The long-overdue haircut. A slice from Old Oak Oven. Gerber daisies in bloom. Children giggling. A good book in the sun. Hearing my name called out from a car or across the street. A daughter who cooks. Eucharist in the church parking lot. The person who thanks you for stepping back. Long walks. These are a few of my happy things… Pastor Leah