Dear Lord, As we gather around this table of gratitude, we thank you for giving us the blessings of: Life…abundantly offered in Jesus Freedom…sacrificially attained by others Family…imperfectly bonded in love Friends…lovingly upheld by grace Work…meaningfully fulfilled in service Community…compassionately provided by kindness Church…missionally united in worship Forgiveness…freely graced by

The Promises of Christmas was created for the busy believer who wants to find a few sacred moments to reflect on the true meaning of this holy season of the year. The advent of the baby Jesus wasn’t a last-minute idea. In fact, the coming of the Messiah in this

He never forced his way on anyone, but instead, he kept his words, his life and his messages always invitational, gracious, warm, and deep. He was not perfect. He owned his weaknesses, imperfections, and vulnerabilities. His dress code was simple, his office was functional, his home was hospitably and spiritually

There have been several big news stories of late, including Hurricane Michael, Supreme Court nomination battle, and the horrible gas leaks in Merrimack County (MA). In addition, the usual news from our divided politicians in the nation’s capital, it’s election season once again, school’s back in full force, and the

A NEW MINISTRY YEAR A switch gets turned on the day after Labor Day. I have seen it now for 40 years. Something changes in all of us when unofficial summer comes to an end. We now turn to becoming busier and more productive than we have been for the

A Labor Day Prayer Written by Norman Shawchuck (Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk With God, p. 310,311) and adapted by Steve Macchia My God, in these quiet moments I caught a glimpse of your vision for me. Inspire me, my God, to carry into the everydayness of my

  Joy, it’s often so elusive. Mostly because we equate it with happiness or we somehow have defined it only as exuberance of heart and voice. We wonder, can we experience joy more mild-manneredly? For many Christians, we devalue the word happy and elevate the word joy because we somehow

  The recent news from our dear friends at Willow Creek is daunting to say the least. Who’d have thought we’d be dealing with the #MeToo movement in the church, never mind one of the country’s finest? But, we are facing this new reality and it shouldn’t really be too

  Welcome Home: Celebrating 15 Years of Soul Hospitality for Leaders The 15th Anniversary of Leadership Transformations was July 1, 2018. It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade and a half since Ruth and I ventured into this new ministry terrain. It was a healthy mixture of faith and

Have you given up or added anything to help you focus on the quality of your personal discipleship and spiritual formation this Lenten season? I was on the fence myself, right up to the last minute, but when I heard that one of the younger leaders we serve was giving up Facebook