Rushing Around

"I wish I had time to go to church." "We'd love to find a church..."  "I'm not really...churchy."  

These are all things people say to me when I talk about being a pastor.  And, I get it.

I remember in college, feeling so stressed with all the things I had to do.  I remember the struggle of deciding on Sunday morning whether to tough it up and climb out of bed to join my friend's carpool to church or to give myself a free pass and take the morning to sleep in.  Church became just one more thing on my to-do list, something I felt guilty about not doing.

I do not want this blog to be like that.

I remember, too, when I was teaching middle schoolers in Oakland and I would count down the days until I got to go to church.  Church was the place where I could hear about God in our world, where I could sing and pray, where I could meet people and laugh, where I could just be me- not a struggling teacher, a lonely young person in a new city- just me, a child of God, beloved by a community.  I loved connecting with people and having time to think about the Bible or wonder how God was reaching out to me.  It was my place; a true rest from the difficult days of the week.

That's what I want this blog to be: a space of rest and a place to wonder about God.

What will that look like?  My plan is each week to look at a different topic through the lens of the Bible and spirituality.  How does God meet us in our daily lives?  Sometimes I will look at the Bible text for the week (most mainline churches follow the same texts throughout the year- it's called the Revised Common Lectionary), sometimes I will look at a topic that's come up in the news and let that dictate the Bible readings we look at, and sometimes I will just go with what's on my mind.

It won't be a sermon, or a thesis...just some thoughts and ideas about things going on in this world and where God might be in them. 

I hope that as I write about things on my mind, you will feel free to start up conversation, respond to ideas, or bring up issues on your mind.  You're welcome to join in whether you are a pastor, an avid church goer, someone who hasn't been to church in forever or someone who has never been in a church.  I hope that we can challenge one another in love, remembering that each and every day we are beloved children of God.

Blessings on your week, G