Why I strive to say Happy Holidays to people, while still sometimes saying Merry Christmas too.   Saying   “Happy Holidays”   isn’t about watering anything down nor is it an attack on the meaning found in our Christian tradition known as Christmas. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary (  https://www.etymonline.com/word/holiday ) the word holiday comes from the old english (haligdaeg) or Holy Day. The word refers to consecrated religious observance, a religious anniversary, or Sabbath.  When I say Happy Holidays, I am ensuring acknowledgement of a sacred season. As a bonus I show that I honor the traditions of my neighbors that may be different than me in a way that aligns us with the heart of Jesus.. Jesus consistently moved toward people with compassion, dignity, & welcome. When I use language that includes those who don’t share my faith, I am reflecting His heart: a Savior who came for the whole world, not just one group. As a Christian, I...

  On a recent Sunday I preached a message from Revelation 21. This is a brief summary created from the transcript of that sermon. The focus of this blog is to show how m this passage challenges us to love and stand with our LGBTQ siblings. You can watch the Message here (starts at 23 Minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr3kyacqDRo&t=3802s Revelation 21 offers one of the most breathtaking visions in all of Scripture. John sees a new heaven and a new earth—creation restored, humanity redeemed, and God making His home among us. The tears, grief, and pain that have marked our world are wiped away. Everything bent is made straight. Everything broken is made whole. This picture is more than a promise for someday; it is a calling for how we live today. Revelation was written to real believers walking through real challenges, encouraging them not with fear, but with hope. Hope that God is moving the story toward restoration. Hope that Christ reigns. Hope that love, not fear,...

Throughout history countless examples of people use the name of Jesus to justify or convince themselves & others the sacredness of their party, agenda, or platform. For centuries people tried to stand on the “holy” claim that Jesus is on their side. Countless political movements claim Jesus as their moral compass; numerous colonization efforts are cloaked as evangelism, and outright injustices are perpetrated in the name of advancing the Kingdom of God. If we are willing to honestly read the message of the Gospel as Jesus revealed it, we will find that Jesus never calls us to takes sides or to approve of any movement, governing principle, or ideology that leads to the marginalization of people we define as “the others”. The longer I pastor, the more I realize how deeply our cultural moment longs for clarity—yet how quickly we trade the clarity of Jesus for the certainty of our preferred ideology. Jesus engaged the political issues of His day with remarkable courage, compassion, and...

As we celebrate Trans awareness week (11/13/25 – 11/19/25) I believe it is important as a Christian Pastor to speak up regarding the value of trans people both inside and outside the church. Fact, Trans people exist, have always existed, and being trans isn’t a sin.   As Christian psychologist Mark Yarhouse explains, gender identity is “how you experience yourself… as male or female, including how masculine or feminine a person feels” ( Understanding Gender Dysphoria , p. 13).   I know that this language makes many people uncomfortable so let me make an important statement of my own: societally defined gender can be experienced on a spectrum while biological sex is  generally recognized as male, female, or in a condition known as intersex where the individual possess both male and female traits in their biological make up. I do not pretend to understand all this reality fully, but I do intentionally and without apology support the dignity, value, and beauty of t...

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ - Matthew 25:37-40 (ESV) As our nation continues to debate — or worse, play the blame game — over the current government shutdown (as of 11/4), I want to remind my fellow Christian siblings that a Christ-focused nation would take to heart the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. Jesus gave His disciples — then and now — a clear call to care for the oppressed, the marginalized, the hungry, the immigrant, and even those we might see as enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount, He introduced a counter-cultural kingdom built on loving God in a way that   always   shows up as love for our neighbor. I’m not a...

  When Jesus speaks to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17, He begins with this powerful image:  “These are the words of the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you remain true to my name.”   Pergamum was a tough place to follow Jesus. It was a city of influence, art, politics, and power—a place where people literally bowed to Caesar to survive. You could choose to follow Jesus, but only if He came  after  empire. Jesus’ followers there had to decide daily who they would serve.   And in this letter, Jesus says, “I see you. I know it’s hard. You’ve stayed faithful.” But He also adds a loving warning: some have begun to compromise—mixing their faith with the values of empire, blending worship of God with the worship of power and pleasure.   It’s easy to read that and think of obvious sins. But Jesus wasn’t just talking about behavior; He was talking about  allegiance . The issue wasn...