This week, I’m preparing a sermon on a story from Exodus in which God’s people grumble about their circumstances.  We’ll be exploring the world’s resistance (and our own) to God’s call to trust and faith. I ran across a funny story about a lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher who went deer hunting together.  The…

A few years ago, I went to a workshop led by a woman who had done a study of the fastest growing churches in the U.S.  What she discovered surprised her.  It turned out the primary strength of those churches didn’t have anything to do with size or music style.  The one thing those high…

“I used to think God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other; and the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we could reach them.  I now find God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other.  It is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower; that we have to…

As we begin our Jubilee year and think more and more deeply about Sabbath, I’m beginning to see that “keeping the Sabbath holy” is not about getting things perfectly right, but about trusting God enough to relax a little bit. It’s more about our intentions than it is our results. It’s like an old story…

A few years ago, Travelers Insurance came out with a series of commercials that showed how what we think we see isn’t always the whole story. For instance, in one scene they showed a canoe being paddled across a calm lake. Underneath this peaceful image read the words, “This is not a canoe; it’s an…

Several years ago, at a family New Year’s Eve gathering, my brother shouted at midnight, “I claim this year as ‘the year of Brook!’” At first, we all thought it was pretty bold of him to claim a whole year just for himself. Since then, we’ve all taken turns claiming our own years, too! When…

It’s hard to believe that September 7-8 will be our 7th annual Disciple Together Weekend. The number “7” is a significant one in our tradition. The ancient Israelites recognized that our God is One who is revealed in time. His story is history! And because they understood the importance of time, they also devoted days…

There’s a scene in the Lion King in which Simba leaves his home because his evil Uncle Scar convinces him he’s something he’s not. Voices from inside and out tell Simba he doesn’t deserve to go home. Eventually, Simba has a vision of his father saying, “Remember who you are!” It reminds me of a…

Two weeks ago, I wrote my Last Word from the floor of the General Assembly at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. This week, I’m writing from a cabin at the Christian Conference Center while Cathie Courtois and her co-director lead my group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in a special activity (giving me…