Wrestling Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayThis coming Sunday we will listen to an odd story from the first book of the Bible (Genesis 33:22-31). A man named Jacob has an experience with God that changes him forever. What brought the man named Jacob to that place? A good hint comes in his name. Jacob’s name means “the Cheater”. For the […] Read More
Welcoming Those Whose Memory Fades Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayLong ago my mother-in-law’s friend Sandy helped her settle into her new and difficult role as mother. This friend would come over and walk the floors in the midnight hours with that crying baby. She also dried the tears of this new mother who felt that her inability to calm her infant’s tears was proof […] Read More
Plastic-covered Sofas and Beds for Bouncing Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayI had two grandmothers who approached our family visits in very different ways. One welcomed us as long as we remembered her home was HER home. The other made us feel like her place had been built with us in mind. I have pleasant memories of both, but if six-year-old me were asked who I […] Read More
Connecting with God Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayWhen one of us whom God has brought into existence connects meaningfully and compassionately with another, God is glorified. I see this happening with great frequency around me. A cancer survivor prays with a hospital-robed friend immediately before he goes into surgery. A writer whose computer was stolen is quickly surround by friends and acquaintances […] Read More
“We had hoped …” Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayLuke tells a story about to followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-25). The story takes place on the day of the resurrection, continuing the story of certain women and their encounter with Jesus. Those women, Mary, Mary, and Joanna, ran excitedly to the other followers of Jesus to announce that […] Read More
Lenten Cleaning and the Circular File Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayOur theme as we enter into Lent at Grace is going deeper. This is a time deepening our relationships with each other by sharing steps on our life journey that have made a difference to us. We go deeper through swapping stories. But another way of going deeper occurred to me when reading something by […] Read More
Noticing. Naming. New noticing. Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayWhat we notice makes a difference in our lives. Naming what we notice deepens that difference. And if what we name matters, we become more likely to notice it the next time around. Pam was going through a hard time. Yet she vowed to look for blessings in the midst of the mess. She noticed […] Read More
God Works in Small Spaces Pastor Phil's Thoughts for the DayI have just returned from my trip to the Holy Land. I went and saw places where Jesus and those who accompanied him through life lived. I walked the same beach where he called the disciples at the Sea of Galilee; I saw the excavations of Peter’s mother-in-law’s home in Capernaum; I stood in the […] Read More