Pastor Tom's Community

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  • Eyebrows and Countdowns

    I raised a couple of eyebrows when I told some folks I was doing a wedding vow renewal ceremony on a Tuesday morning. Those eyebrows practically levitated when I told them where. In 25 minutes, I will be conducting this… Continue reading

  • Be Vulnerable; Get Real

    “We would do well not to be enamored by the kind of leadership that is so prized by politicians and CEOs, the kind that is conspicuous and, as we say, “effective.” Forget about charisma, go for character.” – Eugene Peterson,… Continue reading

  • Sizzling Like Bacon on a Saturday Morning

    I like bacon. I like its taste, smell, and the sound of it sizzling in a pan on a Saturday morning. I like success too! Continue reading

  • Ye Shall Not Be So

    We try to meld, but not so much that we don’t push ourselves to the front or climb over others to get to the top. Into that context, Jesus introduces a counter-cultural, counter-intuitive jab in the sides of our psyches,… Continue reading

  • The Kind of Jesus He Is

    “I want neither a terrorist spirituality that keeps me in a perpetual state of fright about being in right relationship with my heavenly Father nor a sappy spirituality that portrays God as such a benign teddy bear that there is… Continue reading

  • The Place Where God Calls You

    “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” — Frederick Buechner (Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC God calls us to space, place, face, and at His own pace to… Continue reading

  • God’s Care for the Oppressed

    God has this great "thing" for the poor and oppressed. Don't take my word for it. Psalm 146  7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed        and gives food to the hungry.        The LORD sets prisoners free,  8… Continue reading

  • Laid Bare

    The essence of our communion with God is being laid bare before Him. God, throughout scripture, is disclosing Himself to us. It is called “revelation” when He does it. In prayer, we are disclosing ourselves to God and receiving His… Continue reading

  • This Is Prayer

    This is prayer. We move in the direction of God. The movement itself is far more important that the words we use or the sentiments we experience. It is the movement that expresses the true intentions of our hearts. The… Continue reading

  • Holiness

    Today, I seek from God what I must give to God. It is a presumptuous request and an audacious expectation that I could be what I seek to be, holy. Continue reading