The World's Okayest Pastor

 Happy New Year's Eve! 2024 is almost gone as I type this. And it's been ... a year. To whomever may be reading this know this: I'm glad you made it through 2024. You're you and you're here. That's enough. Whether you met your goal/goals or not, you survived. You're still breathing - even if it's hard to do sometimes. I'm proud of you. Keep going. Even if all you can manage is the next minute. Keep going.  Here is my updates and reflection on 2024. The biggest thing for me has been my move and new ministry in Wisconsin. I said goodbye to two lovely rural Nebraska churches in February and started my new ministry in Wisconsin March 1. It was funny that I was actually attending a UCCB meeting in Ohio when I officially met my new conference minister in person on March 1. God has a sense of humor. This past 9 months has been learning about the systems of the church and the community and trying to find my place. I haven't been perfect in this, but I...

Happy New Year Church! Advent is the beginning of the liturgical new year. We change the colors to Royal Blue or Purple to mark this time of waiting and anticipation. We will decorate the church and our homes. How will we prepare our hearts this season? As I write this, we are a little over one week post the election and emotions are mixed in the church and American society. Some people are breathing sighs of relief and others feel like they can’t breathe. I get it on both sides. But where are our hearts post-election? Traditionally, each week of Advent has a particular theme: hope, love, joy, peace. As the light of the Advent wreath grows, we should be growing in our faith. We are called to be people of hope; hope that things will get better. Hope that we can be God’s hands and feet in the world to those who are hurting, scared, unsure, grieving, excited. We are called to be people of love: loving all our neighbors and society, yes even those we don’t like or agree with. We are ca...