“To be AWAKE is to LAMENT that much is wrong with the world, but to be awake also means we are PRISONERS of HOPE.”* (Zechariah 9:12) As I wrote on Monroe Free Methodist‘s page this week,I know these small choices and declarations are just that: SMALL. But as a white woman, as a parent, as a […]
Fully You
One of my favorite parts of being a pastor is observing your lives and noticing how God is changing you. I know…you’re probably thinking, “Sure Pastor Mel, you think I’m becoming more loving, but you don’t know the whole story. You don’t know what it’s like at home or at work.” And you’re right. I […]
Reflect + Reset
I love spending time reflecting on what God has been doing in my ordinary life. Writing helps me process what’s going on in and around me. In putting my thoughts into words, I can pause to observe the seemingly-hidden work of God and begin to notice what kind of fruit my life is producing. It’s […]
Nourishing Fruit
Was it just me or did anyone else feel some incredible discomfort in hearing the lectionary passages this morning? Psalm 52’s “Judgment on the Deceitful,” Amos’s condemning prophecy against those who give little and take much, the weighty responsibility of Colossians 1, the awkwardness of Martha complaining to Jesus in Luke 10? Sometimes it’s easier […]
Why we do church
Following Jesus is about so much more than checking a “Christian” box on a survey. It’s even more than about going to church on Sunday (*gasp*). I believe following Jesus means living like Jesus: seeking to be prayer-filled, rooted in Scripture, holy in lifestyle, Spirit-empowered, and social-justice oriented in the midst of living out our […]
Loving Everybody, Always
To follow Jesus is to respond to God’s invitation to love everybody, always. For the past few weeks I have been reading a book with a group of earnest Jesus followers. Everybody, Always by Bob Goff is all about “Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People.” Sounds simple, right? A little […]
Grappling with Grief
Why is grief so weird? Why is it so surprising? There are times in life when I have been prepared for the tears. I’ve sat at the bedside of a grandparent, knowing the end is near. I’ve walked into the funeral home anticipating the open casket and that time-stands-still moment of walking slowly past to […]
Being Sober-Minded
Years ago I sat in a circle of people whom I had just met a few days before. We were classmates, a cohort to journey together through the next few semesters of grad school. At the close of our weeklong residency, someone had suggested we take time to tell each other the truth, to tell […]
Good Night, Dear Heart
As I look at my calendar for today, I see an appointment with my spiritual director. I’ll keep space for you, Sister Carol, as you always did for me. In the wake of her sudden death, my heart finds a sweet, sorrowful comfort in the words of “Good Night, Dear Heart,” a song that encapsulates […]
Gutted by Grief
I was knocked to my knees yesterday as I heard the news of my dear Sister Carol‘s sudden passing. Carol has been my spiritual director for nearly 3 years and became (in her words) my “spiritual grandmother.” We loved one another deeply, in the way only Jesus could orchestrate. I feel a bit lost already […]