Author Archives: reallifepastor

A recent article in Christian Century cited a statistic that said maintain their faith after they graduate high school, they need to have had significant relationships with five faithful adults.  The mid-high youth at Pilgrimage are fortunate to to count … Continue reading →

Six months and eleven days to sabbatical!  Sabbatical.  Sabbath rest.  Rest.  And renewal.  I’m not sure where the practice of granting sabbaticals to clergy began, but based on what I’ve heard from some of my clergy friends, it’s an amazing … Continue reading →

Yep.  You read it right.  I am deeply grateful for the Council at Pilgrimage UCC.  This group of church leaders is deeply thoughtful about everything they do.  It’s not easy making decisions on behalf of a very diverse congregation.  This group, … Continue reading →

Achilles Tendonitis.  If that’s not a sermon-title waiting to happen, I don’t know what is! If it just didn’t hurt so much.  That’s what it’s been doing for about five years now.  Five years!  Dr. Weiskopf  (yes, my foot doctor’s … Continue reading →

Today, I am grateful for Sabbath rest. “Today I am altogether without ambition.  Where did I get such wisdom?”   Mary Oliver, Blue Pastures  

Wow.  Just wow.  Today was Youth Sunday at Pilgrimage.  They did great!  It was a little hard for me to choose a seat in the congregation  (How do congregants do that EVERY week?  Man.  That’s hard work!) and to keep quiet … Continue reading →

Lorelle:             Whether we realize it or not we all have a unique moral code. A set of personal philosophies that continually exist in unwavering ignorance to anything anyone else does or says. In other words our individual standards we … Continue reading →

I missed posting yesterday.  All day meeting I town.  While in my meeting, though, I took at peek at Facebook (like you’ve never done it? 🙂 and saw that Rachel Small was celebrating five years of ordained ministry.  Wow!  Hard … Continue reading →

From our earliest days, religious folk—at least, UCC religious folk—hear how “God loves everyone” and how “we all are created in God’s image.”  Sometimes it takes society—and Congress—a while to catch up.  How grateful I am, though, when it does!  Now, … Continue reading →