Author: Mike

I serve as the Conference Minister for the Pacific Northwest Conference.

A prayer for this morning…

Mike

Dear God: We feel dizzy from holding our collective breath. There are uncertain words hanging in the air like smoke. We cannot avoid them. They color everything we see. Help us take this moment to rest in you; to re-center ourselves; to hear you whisper words of hope and comfort in our ears. Help us to rest in you; to trust your love for us in the middle of hardships and heartaches; to cry on your shoulder; to pound our fists with grief and rage. Help us to rest in you; to feel your presence; to feel your strength; to … Continue reading A prayer for this morning…

The Sacredness of Voting

Mike

From the September Issue of PNCUCC News: I was 26 years old and living in Dayton, Ohio when I met Kelvin Sauls. Kelvin was from South Africa and attending school at United Theological Seminary. During the time I knew him in the early 1990s, South Africa was going through an amazing, tumultuous time. The freedom struggle was at a fever pitch. Nelson Mandela was freed from prison. All races were getting ready to vote in a general election for the first time. It seemed as though the whole country could either enter a new multiracial era or explode into violence … Continue reading The Sacredness of Voting

Early morning reflection on Exodus 16:2-15

Mike

I’m trying something new. These are once in a while reflections on the scripture of the coming week that I’ll put out and share. You are free to share them and use them for any church setting. You are also welcomed – but not required – to go to http://www.pncucc.org and make a donation to the Pacific Northwest Conference by clicking on the Donate button and giving to Friends of the Conference. Thanks! Continue reading Early morning reflection on Exodus 16:2-15

7/17/2020 COVID-19 PNC Update

Mike

Dear Siblings in Christ: In this week’s lectionary account of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus follows up with a clear explanation of what the story means. And yet, I ended up thinking about our context, too.  This is a time when, for sectarian purposes, misinformation is getting sown among accurate information and it’s hard to tell what’s false and what’s true some days. Thousands of people have gotten sick and died because of this. Having to take the time to sort out partisan motivations from facts was always resulting in the deaths and suffering of people … Continue reading 7/17/2020 COVID-19 PNC Update

Nikkita Oliver’s Sermon from Plymouth UCC

Mike

Hi friends:Nikkita Oliver is a leader in the Seattle region and beyond and, last Sunday, they preached at Plymouth United Church of Christ. In a relatively short period of time, they were able to connect a wide range of intersecting questions in a pretty amazing way. I asked for permission to share this sermon with you and the tech person at Plymouth was kind enough to clip that part out of the service. Here’s the link to the sermon:https://youtu.be/JxuKK_cSgig Continue reading Nikkita Oliver’s Sermon from Plymouth UCC