Talking about theology over a beverage or two (and perhaps some noshes) is one of my favorite things to do. I am looking forward to Wine & Theology, the Family Life Small Group that will begin on Friday evenings in March, and I’ve reviewed the sign-up sheet with some excitement. I know that the participants are a theologically diverse crowd. On the…

Last week I was the storyteller in Godly Play, telling the children in the Green Classroom about the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom we count as a saint and a prophet – a person who was so close to God that he knew what God wanted him to say and do. It was a powerful and worshipful experience…

We are working at MPC to make more space for our children to learn and grow. From the actual space we’ve made in the back row, to giving children the microphone to share their prayers, we are doing everything we can to make child-sized openings in our grownup-sized church. We know that not all openings appeal to all children, of course. Some…

Sign up begins soon for Small Groups: register during Family Hour starting this Sunday! Small Groups are a way to get to know your church family better… sign up for a knitting group, cooking classes, redwoods restoration, yoga, Oakland A’s games, and more. What better ways could there be to build relationships with your church family?

Happy New Year! I went to the gym on Monday and was surprised to find I couldn’t find a machine to work out on. Where did all these people come from? And what are they all doing in MY gym? Oh, of course, I remember – it’s national guilt-trip month, America’s favorite way to purge away the sinfulness of our holiday glut.…

If you follow me on facebook or twitter, you know that I have continued to stay active in various protests happening in and around Oakland. I spoke briefly of this as well in last week’s Contact. Many of you have expressed different degrees of support or reservation about this. There is a lot to say, of course. The “Black Lives Matter” movement…

This past Friday, after a pleasant evening at Beer and Theology, I went to join the Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Oakland, in order to respond to the recent deaths of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and others. With me were ruling elder Anna Santos and office administrator Sherrill Figuera. We were part of a group of several…

This week we had a rehearsal for our upcoming Christmas pageant, “Away in a Garage: an Oakland Pageant.” The kids sang with Kim to learn the songs, and thoroughly peppered me with questions. Why is Jesus being born in a garage? Who is King Herod? Why aren’t there any shepherds? Why are we singing this song? Do I have to have a…

In my sermon this week I talked about stained glass blinders, which seems to have struck a chord with many of you. It seems most of us have these blinders near at hand, even if we manage to take them off sometimes. It’s almost impossible not to have them. Stained glass blinders are those things which surround your vision at church, casting…

Often I like to surprise people in church, by introducing a new prayer or song on the spot. I usually don’t give advance notice of what might be different from “normal” – although normal, at MPC, certainly covers a wide range! If you ask any Youth Group member, they know the answer to “what are we doing next week?” is nearly always…