Traveling Thoughts

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." -John 13:34 This was it; this was the last time that all the disciples would be together with Jesus before he was killed. After three years spent together in the trenches of ministry: serving, healing, teaching, feeding, etc. it led them all to this last evening together around a table celebrating the Passover Meal. The first disciples probably thought they learned everything they could from Jesus, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for command. On Maundy Thursday, the Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus did many new things: 1.       He began the Passover meal by washing the feet of each of his disciples, which symbolized a service of friendship and a mutual sharing of gifts. In the foot washing, Jesus challenges his disciples to do the same for each other, and to see that they are all equal in the K...

Email: "Hi Kate, hope you are doing well! We are starting up our second season of Upward Soccer and we have lots of children already registered. We are looking for more coaches and one of the teens said she would be an assistant coach if she could coach with you. What do you say? Will you be a soccer coach this year?" A soccer coach, are you kidding me? I only played soccer one day in my life during a pick up game at a summer camp. My soccer career promptly ended 15 minutes after it began when a ball got kicked into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me as I fell to the ground. How am I supposed to coach a game I’ve never played? Also, I’m just starting to get used to working with children with the new position of Pastor of Children and Youth, my niche is working with teenagers! It was the beginning of 2016 and I was given the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone in serving. Believing the best leaders are servant leaders that led by example and understan...

            Jesus was a name I heard the adults talking and whispering about around town. People couldn’t stop talking about the healing and teaching that Jesus was doing around our community. So, I was excited when my mom told me we were going to follow and see Jesus for ourselves. Packing my things quickly for this adventure, we joined the multitudes to search for this man called Jesus.              Once we found him on this mountain, I took advantage of my size as I weaved in and out of the crowd towards the front so I could hear Jesus’ words for myself. He was teaching his close friends but what I overheard was amazing. I had never heard anything like it: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…those who mourn…the meek…those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers.” He promised the Kingdom of Heaven, comfort, being filled, receiving mercy, an...

The countdown is on – there are only a few more hours left before the end of the year! Once again, in the last few hours and minutes of the year, I find myself processing what has taken place and looking toward the future with a spirit of hope. This end of year reflection on the power of words is something that I’ve found to be a helpful and meaningful practice.  One of the quotes that I’ve found meaningful when moving into a new season, year, etc. and not wanting to take the baggage that is the past is this "Yearning for a new way will not produce it. Only ending the old way can do that. You cannot hold onto the old, all the while declaring that you want something new. The old will defy the new; The old will deny the new; The old will decry the new. There is only one way to bring in the new. You must make room for it." -Neal Donald Walsch  2018 – Celebrate In thinking through the word I would select for 2018, I was inspired by Colony House’s “Mo...

Words carry unbelievable power. Words have the unique ability to help, to bring joy, to encourage, to destroy, to cause pain, to shame, or to humble. Our words matter. This not only applies to the words we speak to others, but what we say to ourselves. I strongly believe that we can be our own worst critic and say things to ourselves that we would NEVER dream to say (or think about) to other people.   Knowing my tendency to listen to my inner critic and leaning into the idea of living a purposeful and meaningful life, ( check out the first part of the blog here ) I decided at the end of 2013 to select a POSITIVE word to live into in the coming year. That started a chain reaction of going year to year over the last 5 years as a way live a meaningful story and a practice I plan to continue.  My inspiration in sharing these past words and the word for 2019, comes from a graphic artist friend, Adam Cassidy . Adam created a logo for the Kettering  Before...

During Advent, Hyde Park Community UMC did a series based on Beatles songs as we “Unwrapped Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love” preparing for Christmas. I was BEYOND excited for this sermon series! As we came to a finale of the “long and winding road” of Advent my hope was that some people thought, “Don’t stop the music!” For those experiencing that sentiment, I stood in solidarity with them – as music is a passion of mine.  While I know God can’t give all of the gifts to people – I wish I would have received the gift of music (either singing or playing – I’m not picky) instead of only the gift of appreciating music. While a college professor graded me as being only “average” in my appreciation of music I have since made up for it spending extra money and time at concerts.  For some people, though, music is something that just “sounds nice, it’s good background noise.” For me, it is so much more! People of the Bible used music as a tool to pray and as an outlet to e...

This post was originally featured on the Colocate Ministry Consulting blog. When I was in high school and asked what I was planning to do “when I grow up” my response would always be, “I’m going to change the world!” This might seem like a starry eyed, even naïve response to this question, but my confidence was the product of the youth leaders who poured into me starting at age 14. Not only did they encourage me to be an agent of change while still in high school, but they offered the space, resources, and coaching in order to make ideas a reality. This drive to “change the world” came from my very first mission trip when my eyes were open to a loving, liberating Jesus that calls us to be partners of bringing the Kingdom of the God here to earth. My 14-year-old eyes were open to this new idea and way of life because of a 10-year-old girl at the  Tijuana Christian Mission . During that week, I witnessed this young girl care for the younger children at the orphanage – reading ...

This month, I am celebrating ten years of serving in the local church. Ten years ago, I was so excited about the opportunity I was given to be working with students! That call only continued to grow focusing in the areas of discipleship, service with justice and compassion, and leadership.  However, my focus has always been divided. While serving at  Christ United Methodist Church  for 7 years, I was able to double as a full time undergraduate and graduate student. While at  Faith Community UMC , I explored a calling to serving as a senior pastor . While at Peace UMC, the focus was wide serving alongside people working with birth through 12 th  grade.  Peace United Methodist Church will forever be part of my story. There have been some amazing things that have happened in the life of the church and its ministries. So much has happened in the past two years, yet it seems like the time has gone so quickly. Another part of my story that definit...