“When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come . . ..” Leonardo DaVinci I have loved the image that this saying inspires since it was impressed upon my heart when I was a…
by Ashley Whitham Discipleship Development Minister This may seem weird to some, but I’m a firm believer that discernment can and should be fun. Too often ministers make it too serious, and the process becomes heavy and burdensome. We make it too hard. What gets in the way of discernment being fun? First our own…
Spiritual Practice Presented at GPNW MC Conference 2022 Pastors and Staff Breakfast By Ashley Whitham This morning, I’ll invite you to sit comfortably with your feet on the floor, and preferably with support against your back. Close your eyes. In your mind, imagine yourself in a large circle. If there were a target on the…
Spiritual Practice presented at GPNW Mission Center Conference 2022 during the Business Meeting By Ashley Whitham How had you moved through your life as a disciple? This weekend’s theme is courage, but they all have different actions paired with courage, because the courage of a disciple inspires us to move. So as we pause this…
MC Conference 2022 Opening Worship Written by Carol West, Cowlitz Valley Pastor Team Member Father,We quiet our minds in this moment to let go of concerns, worries, stresses, pains and agendas. We seek Your wisdom and courage to see what you have laid before us as congregations, as Community of Christ, but also as disciples….
By Ashley Whitham Recently we experienced the Autumn Equinox. Because the earth is tilted on its axis compared to its rotation of the sun, the Autumn Equinox is one of only two days of the year when the earth is not tilted, but facing straight to the sun. On that day, the sun shines directly…
By Sean Langdon Responsibility overload. Naomi Judd’s suicide. War in Ukraine. Binge-watching “Heartstopper” (if you know, you know). Event canceled due to threat of violence. Mass shootings. Holding in confidential stories. Fractured relationships. When I log-in to Facebook, I am asked, “What’s on your mind, Sean?” Well, all of this and more! All of us…
By Sean Langdon In the fall of 2020, the Bridge of Hope Strategic Planning Team for the Greater Pacific Northwest USA Mission Center followed a nudge to not just focus on how we were going to raise funds to meet our funding goal but also discern a “Bridge of Hope” to the future of who…
“Our Stories” – A reflection by Ashley Whitham When we’re tots and toddlerswe live in our parents’ stories.Their lives are our worlds. When we’re full of wonder and questions,stories from books, tv, moviesexpand our imaginations to an even bigger world. When we start to live our stories,we trip and fall,stumbling over ideals and expectations. When…
This Prayer for Peace was written and offered by Evangelist David Brock inthe November 28, 2021, Community Connections online worshipon our first Sunday of Advent (HOPE). It was offered as aPrayer for Peace and Hope for those who struggle during the holidays. These are holy days, God. This is a sacred time and season. But…