Hello Friends, The CDC has published new guidelines regarding masks that have impacted The Land. Specifically, the CDC has stated that when people are vaccinated and gathered in small groups outdoors, masks may not need to be worn. I have linked many resources in this email including this one: Does everyone need to wear a mask outside? Experts weigh in. […]
A Critical Conversion
Romans 8:5-10Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The […]
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Last Saturday, the question inspiring my sermon study was this:With the big day of resurrection behind us, how do we keep noticing the patterns of birth and resurrection enough to participate in the New Creation? The scripture I intended to answer that question with was this:So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not […]
An Easter Devotion
Holy Days exist as placeholders for intentional spiritual reflection and religious remembering. While they may not always be experienced as such, holy days are days set aside to become curious again, to ask questions again, to feel a sense of aliveness again. These days are opportunities to affirm, deepen and maybe even ditch some of […]
Solving Salvation
Inspired by verses from John 14: 1-4; 5-14John 14: 1-4 (NRSV)“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I […]
The Magic of Misalignments
Inspired by verses from Psalm 22For the past several weeks we have been focusing on the Psalms in worship. I find the Psalms welcoming terrain because relating to them doesn’t require fully understanding their context. Psalms are less about intellectual mastery and much more about emotional solidarity. In their most basic reading, the Psalms exist as blueprints […]
A Place to Begin
Knowing where to begin can be tricky. Let me start by saying that 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 can be a bit of a troublemaker. Not on its own. On its own, I am sure it would be fine. The trouble comes when it gets mixed up with a contemporary human interpretation. A seemingly innocent scripture pressured into having […]
The Real World
Inspired by Psalm 139:1-6Psalm 139: 1-6 is one of the first scriptures I have read as being complete without explanation. To add anything risks ruining something perfectly simple, something succinctly pure. Psalm 139:1-6 is a passage waiting for us, tucked in, and cozied up deep into the psalms. A sleeping giant offering a literary blanket […]
Separate Stories
One week into the new year and the term ‘unprecedented’ floods back into our daily vocabulary. Another unprecedented event thrown upon a world weary with the weight of trauma and tragedy. One week into 2021 and it is apparent that the ills of our national culture are not bound by any calendar year. The societal […]
The Labor of Alignment
Ever since I read the book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (Wohl-lee-ben) and learned that trees could feel the bite of an insect into one of their leaves, I have been horrified by human carvings in the trunks of trees. If a tree can feel the bite of an insect into a leaf, how […]