Monday night I attended a prayer vigil for the victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue at a local synagogue here in Des Moines. I know our Jewish brothers and sisters were overwhelmed by the support they received from so many in attendance. It was standing room only inside the building to … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 10/31/2018
Category: Ravin Rev
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” - Leviticus 19:33-34 “God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 10/12/2018
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” - Martin Luther King The “Me too” movement in the past few years has been a startling revelation for many of us men. Hearing … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 09/28/2018
“We are marching in the light of God” - South African Hymn “No one has greater love than this, to lay down your life for another.” - John 15:13 This past week marked the 17th anniversary of 9-11. There are a number of images from that day I cannot forget. Watching the plane fly into one of … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 09/14/2018
“It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission that has a church in the world.” - Craig Van Gelder Our call is to connect to God, to connect to each other, and to connect to the “Other.” - Heartland Mission Statement “The Church has … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 08/31/2018
“The greatest thing that you can do is to help someone know that they are loved and capable of love.” - Fred Rogers I recently went to see the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” about the life and work of Fred Rogers. Growing up, I was a little too old (barely) to have … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 07/31/2018
One of the most impactful spiritual experiences of my life growing up in the church was a gathering every summer sponsored by the Synod of the Sun where youth and adults would gather on the campus of Trinity University in San Antonio for a week-long workshop of play, worship, and small groups. As the years … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 07/13/2018
“Nothing human is alien to me.” These words were written by a Roman slave named Terrance, a playwright, around 160 years before the birth of Jesus. These ancient and wise words express something essential about the human condition/community. Despite the many ways we may divide ourselves into tribes of color and creed and country, we … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 06/28/2018
By the time you have received this, I will already be in St. Louis for the General Assembly meeting. It starts for me with an early meeting on Friday, the 15th, of “The Way Forward” committee. Delegates are arbitrarily assigned to committees and this was the one I was lucky enough to get. At first, … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 06/15/2018
I have the joy of being elected as a delegate to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) meeting this month (June 15-23) in St. Louis, Missouri. For those of you who don’t remember your Presbyterian polity (which I cannot imagine would be any of you!), the General Assembly (GA) is a national gathering … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 06/01/2018