The “living of these days” for me as your pastor has been quite different than any of us probably imagined it would be at the beginning of this year. Never would I have imagined that we wouldn’t be able to … Continue reading
Incoming deacon Troy Burden shared these words with the deacon body last night in our first meeting of the year, and they were so meaningful to us that we wanted to share them with the rest of the Highland family: … Continue reading
Monday night’s drive thru “Thank you!” for Jim England and all the many gifts he has shared with us through these 2 ½ years of interim time was an absolute delight! It was beyond good to see your faces, to … Continue reading
When I first considered what to offer in this space, I landed on a famous essay by philosopher Peter Singer. In “Famine, Affluence, and Morality,” which you can find on Google and read in full, Singer attempts to recast our … Continue reading
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
Personnel Ministry Group, Pastor Search Committee, and Staff have begun our work to welcome Rev. Mary Alice Birdwhistell as Highland’s next Pastor! Mary Alice’s first Sunday is scheduled for August 16. On Sunday, June 14, the Pastor Search Committee announced … 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