The beginning of June marks the seventh anniversary of being pastor at The Palms. So many memories come flooding up as I reflect upon this anniversary. I am amazed at the ministry God has done with us – it’s not you or me – but God’s Spirit working through us. Here’s a top 10 list… Continue reading My seventh anniversary of being pastor at the Palms!
Category: Pastor Paul’s Ponderings and Letters
Pastor Jim’s sabbatical is about to begin!
The time has finally arrived – Pastor Jim’s sabbatical starts right after worship this Sunday. He has earned every second of this time. We wish him the very best as he journeys. There are a couple of rules while he is gone: 1) He’s not allowed to contact us, and 2) We’re not to contact… Continue reading Pastor Jim’s sabbatical is about to begin!
What new folks find at The Palms
Have you noticed all the new people hanging out at The Palms? With new people come questions – and we love questions! Most inquiries ask me to describe our church. What phrases would you use to sketch out who and what we are? How would you describe us? At The Palms, we celebrate the diversity… Continue reading What new folks find at The Palms
“That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
I like sermons… listening to them, reading them, and preaching them. I enjoy planning and thinking through each turn, word play, and phrase. While on sabbatical, I enjoyed the opportunity to hear some of my colleagues preach. Some of the messages were profound, joyful, and moving. Others had a point or two. Unfortunately, some were… Continue reading “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
The wheels on the Bus go round and round…
For years and years we have been richly blessed to have a Bus Ministry to help us with our transportation needs at The Palms. And that ministry shall continue to be blessed as our new Bus serves us. The new Bus has been wrapped with our logo, and wow, does it ever look good! This… Continue reading The wheels on the Bus go round and round…
Here’s a song I wrote ♪♫
With apologies to the Fab Four, here’s a song I wrote a couple of years ago to the tune of Yellow Submarine. It’s called, A Street with Yellow Trees. In the town where I was bornLived a man who looked at treesAnd he told us of his lifeOn the street of yellow trees So, we… Continue reading Here’s a song I wrote ♪♫
Home again after Annual Meeting
Last week in El Paso I attended the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference UCC. It was the first live gathering of our conference since 2019. It was so wonderful to see the faces, to give and receive the hugs, and to feel the presence of the divine working among us. One of the things that… Continue reading Home again after Annual Meeting
Sabbatical 2023
Sabbatical 2023. This time, it’s Pastor Jim’s turn. That’s right, Pastor Jim will be going on sabbatical starting Monday, June 5, 2023, and will return to us on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. A dedicated group of leaders will be helping with the preaching, visiting, music, and technical stuff. Sabbaticals are a time for tuning our… Continue reading Sabbatical 2023
So, I ask again:
Be the Church! You hear me say that often around The Palms. Our new directory even used that theme – giving it a punny twist: Bee the Church! So, as we journey through Eastertide, do you go to church or are you the church? Another way to ask that same thing is: Do you approach… Continue reading So, I ask again:
Transformation: Your well-prepared script vs real life
Transformation is possible – even for you and me. Many years ago, when my middle child was still in preschool, his class had studied the caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation process. At the preschool open house, they were to release the butterflies into the world. Like clockwork, the caterpillars had done their thing and began emerging from the… Continue reading Transformation: Your well-prepared script vs real life