The world is not what we think it should be.
It fails to meet our hopes and dreams.
Some weeks we’re depressed. We ache at the hurt, the deep emotional and physical pain we inflict upon one another.
It’s hard to see you in this fractured life.
We try to be like the calm shepherd holding a lamb that we imagine Jesus to be.
We want to be the people Jesus teaches us to become.
But Jesus is more than a calm shepherd. Jesus was human.
He also felt righteous anger when religious leaders took advantage of the poor and marginalized.
Come and worship the prophet from Nazareth.
Praise be to the one we call Christ. 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 four perfect grandchildren. 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