My mid-week reflection this week, as I meditate on Jesus’ concern for us to have mercy over any performances of our faith or offerings we can give in church, is what I am planning to share with Lakewood’s Planning Commission when they meet today, Wednesday June 3, to vote on the future of the Lakewood Navigation Center.

We can become convinced that only good people may dare to claim that what they do in the world is in the name of Jesus. But if we read the gospels, we learn otherwise.

Whether or not tongues of fire float above our heads or the winds rush about us, its the belief that we are not unworthy, that we do have something to offer, that we are enough, that holds the true power.

When Jesus DOES come, and we are on either side of the grave, what will Jesus find?

If we claim to be Christians who believe in the good news of God’s abundant and all-compassing presence, we’ve got to remove the word “God-forsaken” from our vocabulary.

Despite living in a nation that emphasizes the importance of expression as a fundamental human right, we have collectively lost our ability to tolerate any utterance of something that is offensive or problematic to us.

Christianity cannot be a Christ-centered faith if proclamations of scarcity and celebrations of individual wealth are louder than the truth of God’s abundance which is readily available to everyone.

Our generation has a different corruption than the Apostle Peter’s.

We must never tolerate when any one with the power to enact it calls upon the death of an entire civilization.

We are living in dark times, and this week is the darkest story for us Christians. But in the worst of things, Love grounds us in the truth that Death is not as powerful as we think it is.

Life is a journey with more than one destination.

It can often feel like we will never arrive at the place we are heading.

On April 7th, 2026 an important special election is happening in our city.

“Bidden or not Bidden, God is present.”

“Bidden or not Bidden, God is present.”

Lent can be a time of spiritual spring cleaning—that in and of itself might also be seen as an act of self-care, too. And it is hard work.

Fear keeps us from being close to God. It tempts us to believe in lies that bring us comfort rather than truth that brings us freedom.

The thing that keeps my grounded in my faith, a faith that was raised up in an environment where all of the emphasis was on believing the right things, is that faith is not an abstraction, it is something that comes to life when we live it out. Believing in the right thing isnt enough if we aren't putting that belief into action.

Want to know why the poor in spirit are blessed? They are blessed because we are called to be a blessing. The poor in spirit are blessed because we are the light of the world.

It is the actions we take that build, brick by brick, kindness by kindness, compassion by compassion, the edifices of God’s kin-dom here on earth.