Blogs

“Now Is the Day,” A Lenten blog by Pastor Dan Hurlbert

  Happy Easter! It is a great greeting not just for today, but for every day, all the time. The Resurrection is not something that simply happened on that first Easter morn that we remember once a year. Resurrection is supposed to be a daily reality in the life of every ...

“Holy Saturday,” A Lenten blog by Pastor Jeri Wilkerson
 
   We often don’t think very much of Holy Saturday. It’s just kind of one of those days between Good Friday and Easter. Perhaps, we are even preparing for Easter by dyeing Easter Eggs or baking a pie for that Easter supper. However, it was much different ...

“Experiencing Good Friday,” A Lenten blog by Pastor Sarai Case
 
   What is your favorite holiday? Christmas? Your birthday? Halloween? Groundhog Day? (Don't laugh too hard at that one, I know a guy...) Mine has always been Easter. Cliché, I know. The pastor's favorite holiday is Easter. Except I'm pretty...

“Poem for Maundy Thursday,” A Lenten blog by Kathy Schock
 
Unleavened bread
  Bitter wine
          A Passover meal
 
“My body”
  “My blood”
          a sacrifice given
 
The cross
  A prayer
  &...

“Show Us How To Serve”
 

“The Centering Power of Music,” A Lenten blog by Martha Wetzel
 
   Although I am incredibly untalented when it comes to anything musical, church music works on me in mysterious ways. I often have a strong emotional reaction to music in church—it can make me elated or reduce me to tears instantly. Even on the days ...

Lenten Quote for the Day

Sometimes I think of life as a big wagon wheel with many spokes. In the middle is the hub. Often in ministry, it looks like we are running around the rim trying to reach everybody. But God says, “Start in the hub; live in the hub. Then you will be connected with all the spokes, and you won’t have to run so fast.&...

“Travels With God,” A Lenten blog by Don Dotts
 
   I just returned from a 16-day trip to South America, seeing Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. As I often do when traveling and seeing the great world that God has given us, I prayed to Him with praise and thanks for being able to have such experiences. The highlight of my ...

“The Legend of the Donkey’s Cross”
 
   Many legends and stories surround our Lenten and Easter season. One that I think about when Palm Sunday and the Easter Walk event come around is the Legend of the Donkey’s Cross. We always have a sweet little donkey (or burro) at the Easter Walk for the children to pet&...

“Centering on New Habits,” A Lenten blog by Pastor Jeri Wilkerson
 
   There are two times a year that my family and I discuss giving up things or taking on new healthy habits, at the New Year and on Ash Wednesday. I wanted to start exercising regularly on my elliptical for the New Year. But by the end of the week, I had ...

  “A Reflective Alleluia,” A Lenten blog by Kathy Schock
 
   I have always been told that the music shared in worship during Lent is not to have any “Alleluias” or “Hallelujahs” or rejoicing. I love the reflective music of this season, but as I think about the story of the Wilderness, I ...

  “Our Pilgrimage with the World,” A Lenten blog by Kent Olson
  
   “Finding our center” is definitely not a theme at home with mainstream American values. “Finding my center” would be a much better fit in our culture. We find our center when we endeavor together to find the meaning ...

“My (Non-Dairy) Quest for Balance,” A Lenten blog by Katy Spratt
 
   2013 is an exciting year for me so far. I started a new job, moved to a new neighborhood in Central Phoenix, and I’ve been trying new things. One particular new thing that I’ve always wanted to try is a totally vegan diet – and by vegan,...

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"The Center of My Life,” A Lenten blog by Shirley Wells
 
   Today my mom would have been 102! St. Patrick’s Day is always special to me because this was my mom’s birthday. She was 95 when she died six years ago—and I miss her each and every day.
   When I reflect on the center of my life, I...

“Discovering A Centering Place,” A Lenten blog by Peggy Bryant
 
   My family moved from New Mexico to Arizona in 1942 as my father took on the job of starting a music program at Fort Grant, then the Arizona State Boys' Industrial School. The only church was the school's auditorium and the non-denominational ...