e-Soundings

"Kick Back" Time is runnning out

In a few weeks, school will be starting and summer will have ended. There will still be the Labor day weekend, but the season will clearly be over.

However, there are still a few more weekends and some weekdays that can be filled with wonder, awe and amazement.

Museums beckon, parks are shaded and cool and there’s even a Beach Party on the horizon! (Sun. Aug. 10 @ Huntington Beach! We hope you can join us.)

And be sure to take a few quiet walks on Summer mornings or late at night around your neighborhoods. Listen to the sounds and be aware of

Have you had enough of family yet?

Summertime often puts us in close proximity to our family.  And the hot days and sticky nights seem to make everyone more on edge.

The irritating habits and actions become unbearable and our tempers seem to be on a short fuse.

And the hot days don’t seem to stop.  Each day seems to make it worse. 

(Hey… how about a cooling dip in the pool or at the ocean?)

Yet somehow, we persevere, offering forgiveness and reconciliation.

If we're smart, we take the time every day to

How do you care for those around you?

There is a wonderful contemporary hymn that is echoing through my thoughts these days. It’s called “The Servant Song” by Richard Gillard and the lyrics are beautiful poetry. It speaks of our need to support each other in this journey of life, during the joys and fears, the celebrations and the dark times a well.

“Brother, let me be your servant Let me be as Christ to you Pray that I may have the grace To let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey We are brothers on the road We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load.

Annual Conf. Report + More!

Annual Conference in Redlands was Hot, Hot, Hot!  (over 100 degrees every day... whew!)  [For a description of Annual Conference and it's relation to the Local Church, please see the previous post on Annual Conference.)

Yet despite the heat, we were able to reconnect with lots of old friends, ordain new clergy, retire a rather large crowd of clergy and attend to the business of the Annual Conference.

John Taylor, Pam Taylor, Pastor Sergio, Pastor Vern and Barbara Story and myself are filled with lots of connections and new ideas that were shared there.  And we are looking forward to a time to share them with you.

One surprising development is that I have been asked

Summer Plans Pt. 2 - Re-Creation

Have you re-thought about your summer "re-creation" yet? Will there be some renewing for your soul as well as renewing your physical and emotional life?

Summer always offers us a special time of the year that's filled with a little less hectic schedule, time for family, reading and BBQ's.

It also offers us a space in our lives that we can fill with God. Time and time again, Jesus separated himself from all the demands and activities that he was involved in. (Luke 5: 15, Mark 3:7)

Do you think Jesus would call them vacations?

So too do we need to take the time to sit quietly, think about God, engage some devotional materials and renew our relationship with God.

With the internet and a strong Christian publishing industry,

Summer Plans Pt. 1 - Re-Creation

How are your Summer Vacation plans shaping up? ( I know, many of you already have them all mapped out… but some of us are just getting around to it!)

Summer is the time that we look forward to time off from school, or work, or just the daily routine. “Time off” can be as simple as changing our routine or an elaborate trip that’s been planned for years.

I remember that some of the best summer time of my childhood was spent lying on some soft green grass somewhere and daydreaming about the clouds and stars overhead. Yet having such a quiet, yet active time seems more and more rare.

I’m sure that many of us hope that our “time off” can recapture some of that wonder and amazement of our childhood. Unfortunately, we often end up with