“The research is clear: Those who consciously express gratitude for at least three to five components of their lives every week are simply happier than those who don’t.” - Joan Chittister quoting Martin E.P. Seligman By the time you read this someone has already begun menu planning, grocery shopping and maybe even Read More...
On a plastic rocking horse in the church nursery, I discovered the pure joy and carefree delight of a faith community.
Sometimes our prayers seem anemic in the face of the world’s pain. What words are adequate in the face of evil atrocities?
I felt the knot form in my throat and the tears moisten my eyes. I thought “now stop this, it's only the first museum, so you better pull it together”.
When I was 17, I traveled with other Disciples of Christ youth to the United Nations in New York for an International Affairs seminar. First, we heard a briefing from the Palestinians and then a briefing from the Israelis. I remember how sitting in each briefing I felt complete support for each position.
It arrives unbidden. It sneaks up on us. It oozes in and then rattles us when we didn’t even know there was an occasion. Grief comes not just at the graveyard but also in the ordinary routines of life.
What do you do in your life that is incredibly important to you but deeply challenging to your spirit? Waking up in the night to feed a newborn? Flying across the country to sit with your 88-year-old mom during surgery?
How does it feel to be pushed to the margins? One of my three children started out life as a sports fanatic, but by high school was more drawn to performing arts.
How do we awaken to the awe and wonder of life? In his recent book, “Life’s Too Short Not to Be Religious” author and professor David Dark says “No one awakens all by themselves”.
Burnout, exhaustion, malaise, worry. We all have days when life feels more draining than energizing. Sometimes you are driving home from the office after a 10 hour work day and wondering if there is any food in the fridge to make a nourishing supper for the children. Sometimes you look around and Read More...
On October 6th and 7th, our church will host Spire Chamber Ensemble presenting a semi-staged performance of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard in honor of the 25th anniversary of one of America’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes.
In his spiritual memoir, British journalist Philip Toynbee wrote, “The basic command of religion is not ‘do this!’ or ‘do not do that!’ but simply look!” That may seem overly simplistic when one considers all the things the Bible commands us to do, but I think he makes a good point.
When I was still teaching at the seminary, I wrote an article about preaching in which I compared the creative process to making a movie. Lots of scholars have borrowed various metaphors over the years to get at what putting a sermon together is like.
Rev. Catherine Stark-Corn serves as our Minister to Children and Families / Outreach Ministries “What amazing helpers you have been!” “I cannot believe they all worked so hard the full time.” “Everyone pitched in to get all the projects done…and no one complained!” These were just a few of the comments we heard Read More...
Community. That word means many different things to many different people. But for 70 of us here at Country Club Christian Church, "community" meant being a group in the Rocky Mountains.
