29 07, 2019

Grateful Hearts… a post by Rich

By |2019-07-30T16:57:15-04:00July 29th, 2019|Beauty, Character, Community, CrossPoint Ministry Report, Gratitude, Responsibility, Stories, Thankfulness, Uncategorized|2 Comments

Along the way in our journey, God in his grace, provides a variety of gifts. One of the most valued gifts God gives is that of the presence of a grace filled person. CrossPoint Ministry began its ministry in 1996 following my 25 years of pastoral ministry. As our ministry grew, we were in need of an administrator to help us with the myriad of details that a busy and growing ministry must navigate. God in his grace, provided Marilyn Moore, who for more than a decade has served CrossPoint as our Executive Administrator. Recently, Marilyn announced that she

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24 12, 2018

The Incarnation…a post by Rich

By |2018-12-24T16:45:31-04:00December 24th, 2018|Advent, Beauty, Body, Emmanuel, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Incarnation, Particularity, Relational Design, Trinity|1 Comment

As we turn our minds and hearts to the birth of our Savior this Christmas season we are reminded again of the significance of the Son of God’s incarnation. The descent of God in assuming human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ is history’s game changer.  Malcolm Muggeridge expresses it this way, "Thanks to the great mercy and marvel of the Incarnation, the cosmic scene is resolved into a human drama. God reaches down to relate himself to man, and man reaches up to relate himself to God. Time looks into eternity and eternity into time, making now always

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14 11, 2018

Meals of Communion…a post by Joy

By |2018-11-14T16:38:39-04:00November 14th, 2018|Beauty, Body, Community, Gifts, Human, Physicality, Sacramental Perspective, Thankfulness|1 Comment

From my own experience, It really is true that to share a meal with someone is an opportunity of reminding us that we are in communion with Christ. It’s interesting to me that a number of times in Scripture, including the story of the angels who appeared to Abraham to announce to him that he and Sarai would become parents in their ripe “old age”, this bit of news was delivered in a setting around the experience of a meal. The first miracle performed by Jesus was in the venue of a wedding feast, a celebration with others. Yet

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17 07, 2018

By Your Light We See Light…a post by Rich

By |2018-07-17T14:51:45-04:00July 17th, 2018|Beauty, Character, Clarity, Discernment, Fruit of the Spirit, Gal 5, Grace, Holy Spirit, Kingdom of God, Morality, Presence, Psalm 36:9, Vision|1 Comment

Aquinas the great theologian of the of the 13the century relied upon Psalm 36:9 to guide him in his great theological endeavors. “For with You is the fountain of life: in Your light do we see light.” C.S. Lewis was a follower of Christ because he held that Jesus enabled him to see what was most real and true. God’s light enables us to see. My recent times of mediation have me reflecting on the significance of the fruits of the Spirit. Paul encourages believers to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). Walking by the Spirit arms us to

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26 06, 2018

Real Butter…a post by Tom

By |2018-06-26T19:10:39-04:00June 26th, 2018|Beauty, Decisions, Ephesians 1:7, Favor, Grace, Memory, People, Thankfulness|1 Comment

Recently I journeyed with a 100-year-old woman as she neared death. When she died the family shared memories and reflections on her storied life. I find it fascinating how people focus in and remember the small things over the big. One of the grandchildren, of whom she was particularly fond, recalled going over to her grandma’s small apartment for movie night to eat popcorn made with REAL BUTTER. The grandmother did not have much materially speaking. She lived alone and worked as a waitress. However, when her grandkids came over she used REAL BUTTER! The children were accustomed to

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15 05, 2018

What are you exploring?…a post by Tom

By |2018-05-15T14:19:28-04:00May 15th, 2018|Beauty, Burnout, Clarity, Decisions, Discernment, Gift, Grace, Humility, Presence, Rest, Self-Clarity, Stillness, Surrender|1 Comment

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. - T.S. Eliot   What are you looking for? A better sense of self? A better home and garden? More knowledge about the Divine or your divinely inspired pursuits? An idealized Christianity or church to validate a privatized salvation project? To figure out your dysfunctional family system? Untie some knotty existential shoelaces tightened by primal repression so that you no longer trip over fear, guilt, and shame? A well balanced portfolio?

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18 12, 2017

Ornaments of Christ…a post by Joy

By |2017-12-18T20:35:19-04:00December 18th, 2017|Advent, Beauty, Character, Community, Gift, Gifts, Grace, Holy Spirit, Particularity, Presence|1 Comment

One of our family traditions when we are able to be together at Thanksgiving is to go to a Christmas tree farm the following day, go on the “hayride” tractor to choose the tree, then 1-2 members of the family collaborate to cut down the tree. Hot apple cider is usually served at the farm, then we head home to “trim the tree.” Hanging the ornaments on the tree is a reminder of life that we have lived together for each has a particular meaning or memory attached to it.   Glass ornaments that are from one of our grandparents’

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4 12, 2017

Advent and the Particularity of God’s Love…a post by Rich

By |2017-12-04T17:24:46-04:00December 4th, 2017|Advent, Beauty, Faith, Grace, Heb 1:3, Humility, John 14:9, John 8:12, Letting Go, Particularity, Romans 5:8, Surrender, Trust|1 Comment

The season of Advent is upon us and as Christians we turn our hearts in preparation for the coming celebration of the birth of the Messiah, our Savior. A theme we often attended to here at CrossPoint is the particularity of God’s love. Thomas Oden considered the incarnation the “scandal of particularity.” God in his wisdom makes himself know to us in and through a very particular Jewish man. But there is more to the scandal than God simply making himself know in Jesus. The crux of the scandal is that this Jewish man, with a real family history

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6 11, 2017

Wild Geese…a poem by Mary Oliver

By |2017-11-06T21:52:17-04:00November 6th, 2017|Beauty, Body, Clarity, Creation, Despair, Empathy, Faith, Humility, Imagination, Loneliness|0 Comments

This is a beautiful poem that speaks for itself and the first few lines are of particular encouragement for those tortured souls...you know who you are. Wild Geese You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over

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25 09, 2017

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us…a post by Joy

By |2017-09-25T15:20:59-04:00September 25th, 2017|Approval, Beauty, Creation, Desire, Emotions, Favor, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Psalm 90:17|2 Comments

For two mornings this week I have awakened to this verse going through my mind. Psalm 90:17 (KJV)   “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Establish Thou the work of our hands; Establish Thou the work of our hands. It’s a familiar verse that is quoted in the Midday prayer that we have often quoted through the years for the Deeper Journey retreats.  I also have it in song form by the Northumbria Community in England.  Actually, the song is what awakened me from my dreams both of those mornings. I’ve often been struck by this

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