Tag Archives: Ministry

No Leisure Even to Eat

All you football moms out there can identify with having no leisure even to eat. You’ve carted them to practices and cheered them on in games. You’ve driven the length and width of the state of North Dakota (for example) with kids and crockpots in the trunk. Paper plates, pickle jars, and plastic forks areContinue reading “No Leisure Even to Eat”

Searching Before They’re Lost

My church hosted a 3 on 3 basketball tournament at our local recreation center over the weekend. There was a great turnout, and it was fun to see the young folks competing and laughing. Several people shared their testimonies. Jesus, the Good Shepherd who goes looking for lost sheep, was doing just that on SaturdayContinue reading “Searching Before They’re Lost”

On Praying for Your Pastor

I prayed for my pastor today. He had crawled up into the church’s playground equipment and was scrubbing graffitied profanity with a magic eraser.  As I watched him scrub, I thought of the many times people brought him their sins, cloaked as problems to be solved. Instead of offering magic erasers, my pastor gave theContinue reading “On Praying for Your Pastor”

Made Beautiful

“Hello? This is Dakota Baptist Church.” “Sarahcanyoubringmeapop??” One of my responsibilities the summer I was seventeen was to answer the church phone. The caller was a twelve year old girl. She spoke so quickly that all her words ran together, and we had the same conversation everyday. “Well, where are you?” “Atmyhouse.” “Where’s your house?”Continue reading “Made Beautiful”

Acquainted with Grief

A married couple came to me after Sunday school. They had eaten supper with one of our students, and they were troubled. “This little girl shouldn’t even know about the things she was telling us,” the wife said.  The husband agreed and asked the girl’s name again so that they could pray for her. BothContinue reading “Acquainted with Grief”

The Old Cane Pole

My dad has a long cane pole hanging in his garage. When we visited for Christmas, I asked him to tell my sons about it. “Well, it was Papa’s,” he said, meaning his dad, “and he called it a Calcutta cane pole.” Dad went on to describe the way Papa held the pole, the wayContinue reading “The Old Cane Pole”

The Battle of Advent

Listen HERE I live on a reservation where I see many battles. Even while I watch my little boy fight imaginary foes with a wooden sword, I am praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are fighting the battles of addiction, grief, loneliness, rejection, generational trauma, and hopelessness. Those foes rise up withContinue reading “The Battle of Advent”

White for Harvest

Listen HERE My son has been watching everyday for the harvester to come gather in the wheat that has been growing next to our house. He got to ride on the seeder when they planted the field, and he has been watching it grow all summer. Today, the field was white as the sun shoneContinue reading “White for Harvest”

Here Hovering

It’s 3:30am on Sunday, and I am awake. The phone has buzzed several times, and I know it is darkness calling. Saturday night is attack time for the enemy. The Father of lies saves his best ones for Saturday nights to try to pollute the chance of Sunday morning resurrection. Sickness, sin, death, and theContinue reading “Here Hovering”