Evergreen Connection
Glimpse of a Fire Mission
The pictures and video of the recent wildfires are wrenching, but last night it was a verbal description that moved me deeply. This is day two of the three-day IFCA pastors conference Evergreen is hosting and we have about 50 colleagues in ministry from around the Pacific Northwest. Nate Shinn and his wife Muriel live […]
Continue ReadingSons and Daughters of the King
Last night, Emily and I were sitting down on the couch waiting for our daughter, Eleanor, to get sleepy. Like usual, it was 9 pm and she was wide awake, happy as could be. We’ve started trying to go through a nightly “family worship” bedtime routine, in hopes that it will lull her into peaceful […]
Continue ReadingOrphans, Aliens, Refugees and the Displaced
When we became Christians, we went from orphans to aliens. Strange huh? And isn’t it especially weird to think of ourselves as “aliens”? I can’t help it; when I hear that term, my mind always first thinks of those little green creatures from outer space. But the dictionary defines an alien as “a foreigner, especially […]
Continue ReadingPursuing Joy in the Gloom
The sun rose again this morning to reveal the same yellow-gray gloom that has been brooding for just over a week. The smoke from the wildfires combined with the morning fog make for an oppressive atmosphere. Sound is strangely muffled, and the complete stillness is eerie after the raging east winds that ravaged our area. […]
Continue ReadingDid Your Power Go Out?
A few hours ago, as Pastor Jose and I sat chatting at our desks, without warning the two overhead lights started to flicker. A moment later, I noticed the WIFI had gone out. PJ half-jokingly commented that it was a good thing. I think his point was that we are sometimes too dependent upon technology […]
Continue ReadingA Question on Forgiveness
The sun had not even set last Sunday when I received an excellent question about my sermon on forgiveness. The note essentially asked, “How can you say forgiveness is not the cancellation of consequences and then turn right around and say that part of forgiveness is canceling their debt?” Great question, right? All the more impressive […]
Continue ReadingWhat is God Up To?
So I don’t want to belabor the point (that’s not true, I actually really do), but God is most definitely on the move! In case you’ve been disconnected these last several weeks, I’ve been pretty psyched to report that God is doing some extraordinary things in and around us! Here’s a few of the ways […]
Continue ReadingMission Trip to Triangle Lake
The field at Misty Meadows was rimmed with tents and RVs last weekend as Evergreen held its annual Family Camp in Triangle Lake, Oregon. Many of us wondered in the weeks leading up to it if this long-standing tradition would still happen this year. Many others wondered if it should happen in light of the […]
Continue ReadingNo Unwholesome Word
I was at a wedding last Saturday and enjoying conversation with a circle of good friends. Similar circles filled the large pole barn venue till the volume of the collective talking and laughing was full and beautiful. A guy in our circle was regaling us with a thrilling tale from a recent excursion he’d taken […]
Continue ReadingAll Kinds of Crazy
King Coronavirus continues his relentless attack on mankind and it appears obvious the war is not going well, at least here in America. One big reason is that our citizens have extremely different views about how we should face this threat. One extreme would be the ‘covid parties’ we’ve heard rumor of, with people gathering […]
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