Here at Highland, “We value a courageous, progressive theology whose relevance extends from the pew to the street, that engages both the mind and the heart, and that welcomes everyone from the skeptic to the devoted.” This statement from our … Continue reading
June heat filled the summer evening. The air felt appropriate for a church picnic with iced lemonade and kids running in Hogan’s Fountain. But I put on my thick black robe instead of my flip flops. Standing outside on the … Continue reading
At the start of this interim journey, Bob Belcher gave me a picture of a highway in the desert with hills in the distance. That picture has sat on my desk for the last 2½ years reminding me of this … Continue reading
What a historic week in the life of Highland this has been! Looking back on this past weekend and to Sunday, after 30 months of interim life, it feels almost like a dream where I have woken up wondering, “did … Continue reading
I was raised in the Baptist church and spent the first half of my young adult life in the Presbyterian church. In 1987, after my mother’s death, I became very disillusioned and walked away from the church. I decided that … Continue reading
This week, Mary Alice Birdwhistell has finally arrived. You will each have to decide for yourself if she is the one to serve as Highland’s next pastor. One beauty (and risk) of Baptist life and polity, for those who have … Continue reading
To quote one of my favorite hymns, “How Can I Keep from Singing?” Church leaders all around our country are reeling from this news about the dangers of congregational singing during this season of a global pandemic. Who are we if … Continue reading
Freedom To Be Known “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3 A few weeks ago, I sat on my back porch … Continue reading
I’ve been spending some of my home time going through stacks of papers to play the perpetual game of sort and toss and came across a bunch of notes and flyers about various church retreats of the past few seasons. … Continue reading
What will we do with our memories? What will we do with the plans that haven’t happened? In the Charles Dickens story “Great Expectations,” Miss Havisham, now an old lady, still sits in her tattered wedding dress, stuck in the … Continue reading