Forgiving One,
We are here in your house,
a building built to be used for your glory.
We look around us and see,
familiar faces.
We look around us and see,
empty pews.
We yearn for the days of the past,
when everyone came to church.
But like Jesus,
who reminds the grumblers,
that Zacchaeus had changed,
God reminds us that times change.
We are your people,
we are your beloved,
and for that we are grateful.
May we hear,
your still small voice,
your still-speaking voice,
that calls us outside these walls.
Push us to action,
in the diner,
in the town hall,
in the grocery,
and post office.
Push us to action,
where injustice manifests,
where your people are hungry,
and violence dominates.
Move our feet,
that we go where you need us to be,
to places where hugs & words are needed,
Send us to one another,
that we use our presence,
as a balm of healing,
within this community,
and beyond.
Use us to touch,
[insert names]
When you call us out of the tree,
may we jump down joyful at your presence.
When you call us out of the tree,
may we embrace you,
and become the people
you want us to be.
In the name,
and in the footsteps of Jesus,
we pray and seek to follow. AMEN.
Tim strives to share God’s extravagant love for all–no matter what & without strings. Seeking to follow the lure of the Spirit, Tim writes about what it means to be a follower of Jesus in an era where Christianity has come to be associated with hatred and political wedge issues. “Heinous things have been said & done (& still are) in the name of the One who breathed in the Divine,” notes Tim, “but Jesus shows us that God loves extravagantly.” Following the teachings and life of Jesus is about inclusion not exclusion. It is about compassion, grace, and admitting no one has all the answers. It is about responding lovingly to the best of our human ability. It is about people not institutions. It is about social justice. It is about caring for creation. It is about being who we were each created to be. Tim is a former early childhood educator, a runner, a hiker, a devoted husband, father of two adult children and their spouses, and a grandfather of two perfect babies. Tim serves as Lead Pastor of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Albany, Oregon. He writes from home, from the coffee shop, and wherever the trail leads him.
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