*Call to Worship
This is a house of love.
The one we call God is
the very definition of love.
This is a house of growth.
The one we call God is
an ever-creating, ever-evolving breath of love.
This is a house of action.
The one we call God provokes us to
speak, demand, & create justice for all peoples
especially the poor, oppressed, & marginalized.
We are imperfect but we gather to learn and grow
into people more in-tune with the one we call God.
We gather in this house to love, grow, & act. 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.
Leave a Reply