04/14/2026
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it. I joke with Jessica that I’ll write something like, ‘what Jessica would have mentioned if she’d had more time to think it through.’ Which of course is ridiculous since Jessica is an accomplished pulpiteer and has no need for my commentary to shine light on the gospel.
But Sunday morning before worship I came across an article in the New York Times entitled, Parents, Consider Underachieving. It’s an opinion piece but it is worth your time if you can get the below link to work (I don’t know what requires a subscription and what doesn’t.)
LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/parenting-kids-burn-out.html
The reason I bring it up—other than recommending something that touches on our current sermon series—Crazy Busy—is because they talk about Maycember (the crazy April/May season in which we try to get everything done before the end of the school year). They suggest a particular video on Youtube that I’d like to also recommend to you. I don’t know the Holderness family but many families follow them on Social Media. This parody of the Earth, Wind, and Fire song, September, is a wonderful illustration of just what Jessica was talking about in her message.
Take a look at:
Archived Posts
Blessed People Bless People
But that Blessing Can Come with a Cost as Well
I’ve enclosed several insights I got while I dug into the scripture from Genesis 12 last Sunday. For you who love Bible background here’s a few thoughts to share:
Back and Forth with Chat GPT
Many of you know that I’ve found a new consultant to bounce my ideas off in regard to preaching. My good buddy Chat GPT and I sometimes disagree—often miscommunicate—but usually come up with some fruitful illustrations.
One More Thing About Becoming Wholly Human
I was talking Sunday about the work of Hare and Woods and their idea of ‘the survival of the friendliest.’ Essentially, they conclude that “our greatest evolutionary advantage wasn't that we could do everything ourselves. It was that we could do things together.”
Here’s a preview of our congregation’s Core Values
In the coming weeks we will be exploring the importance of presence, prayers, gifts, service, witness, and growth in grace. These are at the heart of what we commit to when we join a Wesleyan grace-led church like ours. But we choose to broaden them out and state them in a new way…
The Biblical prayer we don’t know what to do with
Psalm 137 is written by people who have experienced catastrophic loss.
They have been conquered...
Patience and Trust
Sunday, in my benediction (which traditional folks did not hear) I talked about the Marshmallow Test. The original results of that test with children was that those who could delay gratification did better in life than those who could not.
Gandhi and the Sugar
I wasn’t preaching Sunday, Reverend Jackie Chandler was. And she talked about the power of influence you get when you practice what you preach. This famous illustration came to mind. It fits Jackie’s points quite well. Enjoy!