Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. I’m thinking about fasting from keeping things available. I know that sounds odd. Many people would respond, “Oh, you mean that you are going to put things away!” And it would be clear that they are neat people. But I don’t leave things out. I don’t intentionally […]

Some of my friends with spiritual interests anticipate Lent with a sense of gratitude. They are thankful for what they learn about themselves through the disciplines of giving up and of moving toward God. They appreciate the invitation to participate with others known as the Body of Christ. I have other friends who argue a […]

“What do you want to be true of you in five years?” It’s a question I often ask when I’m teaching groups. I let them know that the question is coming, to allow introverts time to reflect. The group separates into clusters of three or four people to share their answers. And then I have […]

I walked out of Grabill Missionary Church Sunday night. It was my last time in the building as a staff member. We’ll be back as attenders in a couple weeks. I resigned from the staff, not the relationships or the community.  (And I’ll talk more about some of what’s next soon.) As I walked into […]