by Sam Orris | Aug 9, 2022 | Ministry, Pain, The Founder's Desk, Work
This past week I have been at a reunion with college friends (this is the main reason I missed last week’s update). It’s been significant for a number of reasons. I hope to unpack a few other ideas from the trip in the future, but I thought I would begin...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jul 29, 2022 | Marriage, The Founder's Desk, Weddings
A few weeks ago, our family celebrated a very special occasion: my mom’s remarriage after being widowed several years ago when my father died of a rare disease. The ceremony was Catholic, and I found myself deeply encouraged by the priest’s wedding homily...
by Sam Orris | Jul 27, 2022 | Culture, The Founder's Desk
This past Sunday was the first time I’ve been in worship at our local church in some time, and it was a wonderful service. The liturgy was inspiring, the praise music was impassioned, and the sermon was also quite excellent. But there was one takeaway that I...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jul 13, 2022 | Routines, The Founder's Desk
For the past two weeks, the Strachan family has been living, working, and playing in Southern California, primarily at the beach thanks to a close friend (yes, I know how ridiculously blessed we are). Overall it was really a great experience for all of us, including...
by Mark Roberts | Jul 12, 2022 | Third Third of Life
These days, more and more pastors are looking for ways to serve their third third congregants, that is, folks roughly 55 years of age and older. It’s common for me to hear from a pastor who says something like this, “We have quite a few mature adults in our...
by Lisa Degrenia | Jun 30, 2022 | Independence Day, Liturgy
Independence Weekend Prayer for Unity This prayer includes a short, optional illustration. Leave out the optional illustration, or modify it, for use on other occasions. VOICE ONE Psalm 133 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is...
by Scott Bullock | May 2, 2022 | Liturgy, Storytelling
I know that not all of us come from so-called “liturgical” traditions, but all of us do use a liturgy of sorts. Liturgy is a compound Greek word meaning “public work” that is associated with the corporate act of worship. A liturgy is any expression of that public...
by Mark Roberts | Apr 26, 2022 | Third Third of Life
I’ve heard a lot of sermons during the past 60 years. And I’ve preached a bunch too, well over a 1,000 sermons during my years as a pastor. So, I was surprised when, a couple of weeks ago, I heard something in a sermon I had never, ever heard before. I was shocked....
by Bill Gaultiere | Apr 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
Gentled by grace. That’s the incredible and inspiring story of Abba Moses the Black. He was a violent thief who became a humble and kind monk and one of the great Desert Fathers who served the Lord Jesus Christ in the 4th Century. From his life we see an example of...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Apr 12, 2022 | Easter, Holy Week, The Founder's Desk
.Some time back I had the thought that life, the Christian life, can be looked at through the two poles of Good Friday and Easter. While of course we would prefer to always be living an “Easter” existence, there are times when the best we can do is look to...
