I have just returned after a couple of days with some of our youth in Chicago on their mission trip. Our group (Robert Pike, Katy Pike, Maia Klein, Ari Cutler, Ethan Giles along with Steve Dressel) is working hard and beautifully representing our church community. They are being hosted by an organization called DOOR. DOOR … Continue reading June 2017
Category: Ravin Rev
12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” Acts 2:12-13 One of my favorite memories as a child was visiting with my grandparents and going to their church. My grandparents lived in public housing in downtown Dallas … Continue reading These People Are Crazy
“Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” Luke 16:26 This past week I was in a Bible study with a number of folks in the … Continue reading Ekram’s Story
There is a purported Chinese curse, most likely apocryphal, that goes something like this: May you live in interesting times. I think most of us would agree we live in “interesting times.” Maybe too interesting! The election, inauguration, and implementation of the Trump presidency has been a catalyst for highlighting the divisions that underlie our … Continue reading A Confession of Faith
He is Risen indeed! Alleluia In the season of Easter, it has been the common practice of Christians over the millennia to greet each other with these words. In these ancient words spoken by the followers of the Way of Jesus, we have an expression of hope. What has been dead is now alive. What … Continue reading Alleluia! The Lord is Risen!
“You have heard that it was said, “You shall love you neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of God; for God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain … Continue reading Huh? What did Jesus just say?
Kin-dom Solidarity with the Communities of El Tablón In January, Alex Thornburg and Priscilla Eppinger represented Heartland Presbyterian Church on a delegation visit to our partner communities in El Salvador. We quickly became aware of the serious drought conditions this country has endured during the past two growing seasons; from the airplane we could see … Continue reading From guest blogger Priscilla Eppinger
We have been listening to stories. This is the essence of what we have been doing this week here in the mountains of El Salvador. We visit each farming community called a “Tablon” (a kind of extended village), and we meet with the elected leaders of these communities called a “Directiva” who share the stories … Continue reading Listening to Their Stories
Oscar Romero served as the Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until his death in 1980. Romero is considered a kind of patron saint of El Slavador, and I do not joke when I say there might be more pictures of Romero posted everywhere than there are of Jesus. This is a significant difference than … Continue reading Oscar Romero and The Church of the Poor
Hola! We have now been in El Salvador for a couple of days, and so busy that we haven’t had the opportunity to sit down and write about the experience. So here is an early Sunday morning reflection. History The past few days we have been learning about the history of El Salvador and particularly … Continue reading La Lucha and Hope