Ten years ago, Foundry Church was without a lead teaching pastor after Syd Brestel retired from 25 years of service, the longest in the church’s 110-year history. A small committee, including this author, had been meeting weekly since January of 2014 to find someone who could fill Syd’s shoes.

A few years ago, the city of Bend underwent a massive project which included replacing sidewalk curb ramps with sidewalk curb ramps. The arguably wasteful project was the outcome of a settlement between the US Dept. of Justice and the city of Bend in 2004, which resulted from a 2001 lawsuit introduced by four disabled Bend residents, claiming our city had failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To begin a deep dive into a conversation about disabilities, we should start with a definition of terms. What do we mean when we say “disability?”

Let’s start with a medical definition…

For many of us, asking for help is a big no-no, a sign of weakness. Some of us are wired more for independence, and it’s in our nature, succeed or fail, to try things on our own. My daughter exemplified this at a young age, always demanding, “My byself!”

This year, Passover falls during the last week of April, nearly a month after Easter. People much smarter than me can explain why this happened, but in my heart and in the gospels, these holidays are aligned. Therefore, I am excited to celebrate the redemption of God’s people over the course of an entire month.

I remember my first enemy. We moved from Austin to a small country town, and I joined a second grade classroom midway through the school year. Bubba didn’t take kindly to strangers, and he enjoyed tormenting me daily, calling me “Shrimp”, presumably because of my size, not because of my tough exterior. I can still almost see his plaid shirt, blue jeans, acne and mustache.

Once upon a time, on a peaceful, calm day, I was asked what my favorite Jesus story was. I replied, “The story of Jesus walking on the water.” It’s a wonderful story, demonstrating the undeniable deity of Jesus while also showing a relatable follower’s failure in Peter’s attempt to join him on the waves.

Did you ever have that dream where you showed up to school and you were the only one who forgot to put on clothes? Please forgive me if I’m evoking childhood trauma, but the nightmare analogy helps me make my point in this attempt at a persuasive essay.

I imagine very few of us have seen the night sky as the ancients did. I can only point to one occasion, in high school, when I joined my youth group for an illegal border crossing into a tiny village in Mexico. We must have been a hundred miles away from the nearest candle or light bulb, and there wasn’t a hint of moisture in the desert sky. Every star, planet and UFO could be seen with precision, and the Milky Way looked so close I could almost taste it.

A short time ago, Foundry completed an eight week foray into the Christian spiritual disciplines. Attendance for the class was consistently between 25 and 30, all participating in mesmerizing discussions each Sunday morning. Why so much interest in ancient, sometimes uncomfortable, practices of the church?

For the last several weeks, BibleProject has been exploring the concept of chaos in the Bible. Chaos, also known as disorder, confusion and unpredictability, is represented in Scripture by several things, like the ocean, the wilderness, wild animals, and even dragons! Meditating on chaos, my imagination goes wild.

All things are meant to reveal God’s glory, as it says in Romans 11:36:

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Our good friend and chief editor of this blog, Michael Long, is riding into the sunset this month, closing an 18-year story of faithful service at Foundry Church. We will be waving tearful goodbyes as he and Patti drive their Teslas toward the California sun.

After the gospels, the remainder of the New Testament is a beautiful collection of Luke’s account of early church history, epistles (weighty, instructional letters) from various apostles, and the apocalyptic Revelation.

Why is this collection so important? What would our faith look like without them?

Continuing from April’s three-cheer celebration of the Bible, this month’s entry is the star of the show—the gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; four related but unique accounts of the earthly ministry of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior, the Redeemer, the King of Kings.

“Never Say Never,” warned a minivan’s bumper as I drove through town the other day. If you have never lived the minivan lifestyle, I can shell the nut for you.

Important things in the Bible are often grouped in threes. (A fascinating account of these can be found here.) This article, therefore, begins a three part series on my love of God’s word.

Welcome to Passion Week, Palm Sunday to Easter, where nearly 2/3 of the four gospels are devoted to telling the story of that brief period in the life of our Savior.

Some of you know intimately the joy of teaching children’s church, known quaintly as “Kidztown”. Yet many of you can only imagine what happens downstairs during the weekly sermon by the rumblings heard from below. Are the children learning to line dance? Are they acting out Matthew 8:32?

Being face-to-face intimate with God is critical to casting away anxiety, and the key to being filled with the fullness of God’s love. Facing the waves means recognizing they are under God’s loving control and mercy.