Insights from in and around the association
UBA Voices
Meditation and Hope for the Highs and Lows of Ministry
Ministry certainly has its highs and lows, but there is something to treasure in every season.
Keeping Healthy Habits as Things Get Busy
As things get busy and schedules fill up, how can we maintain healthy habits of simplicity?
Don't Be Afraid of the Wilderness
What do you do when you feel like you’re in the wilderness spiritually?
Ask, Seek, Knock
What can we expect when we ask for things and seek God? A dive into Matthew 7 tells us to expect more from the Kingdom of God, not less.
While We're Waiting
How do you feel about waiting? Louis Smeads said, “Waiting is the hardest work of hope.” And indeed it is! In our serious waiting, we need to watch in hope, wait in hope, and pray in hope. Here’s what we learn about waiting from the Scripture.
2020's Most Surprisingly Relevant Worship Song
Most of what we experienced this year echos a sense of loss—the fading music and the constant erosion of things we took for granted. I know I'm not alone in feeling the strain. Fortunately for me, however, God's grace in 2020 has reminded me of the things that are most important—and all the things that are not.
Finding Joy in the Stillness
There is nothing quite like receiving a gift—especially those gifts we did not ask for and did not see coming. Young or old, rich or poor, culture to culture, it is all the same. Without hesitation, the mental checklist begins with how to get the most use out of what has been handed to us to change us for the better. This unexpected season of stillness is a gift to those who use it well.
Bearing the Weight of "What if..."
I started outlining this piece about anxiety long before most of us had ever heard the term “coronavirus." Now, it seems to be an all-consuming topic of our news, conversations, and concerns. I’m not going to try to address the specific "what ifs" for the months ahead. Josh already discussed strategy here. Instead, I want to touch on how we can respond when these worst-case scenarios threaten to overwhelm us personally. I want to tell my own story of processing anxieties in the light of the gospel.
Leader, You are First a Child of God
There are two spheres of existence: being and doing. "Being" concerns who we are. "Doing" concerns the roles we play and the things we do in them. While the things we do in life can certainly enhance or detract from our sense of self, they should never define it. In other words, if we receive our identity in what we do (roles, titles, positions, jobs, functions) we set ourselves up for great disappointment.
Lessons From Pearl, the Well-Worn Angel
Almost every Christmas for 30 years of marriage, Dian and I have put up the Angel Tree at Christmas time. At the very top hangs our not-so-traditional beauty, Pearl. The loss of her halo, wings, and lute combined with her droopy, melted face make her an interested choice for such a spot of honor. However, she reminds us of an important lesson as she declares God's glory through the bags under her eyes.