By Amy Butler Looking back over my life I realize I’ve traveled a winding road as it relates to the spiritual practice of prayer. Lately I’ve turned another corner, and this week I’ve been thinking a lot about that journey….
Welcoming the stranger
By Amy Butler It’s a pretty commonly accepted biblical mandate that we welcome the stranger. As we’ve witnessed in the news of late, in our better moments we people of faith can manage to cross wide valleys of opinion to…
Eyes wide open
By Amy Butler Last Sunday all over the world lectionary preachers were handed a challenging text from Matthew’s Gospel. The text was that little part of chapter 15, where Jesus is busy just doing his thing: using gardening metaphors to…
Taking stock of mission endeavors
By Amy Butler Lately I’ve had occasion to think a little more deeply than usual about churches and mission/social justice programming. It seems to me that collaborative efforts to heal the world are critical parts of life together in Christian…
We are not alone
By Amy Butler You know, I’ve always thought that one of the principle practices of a good pastor is connecting people. But I’ve now come to believe that one of the principle practices of being a good human being is…
Life’s not fair
By Amy Butler I grew up in a family with five children, so I don’t really recall life ever being very fair. There was always somebody who got more ice cream or fewer consequences than I did; much of the…
The camp of the litmus-testers
By Amy Butler I recently found myself asked to take a step back from leadership in worship. The pastor in charge was apologetic and very polite, but the public leadership of women in the church is not biblical, he explained,…
Life isn’t fair
By Amy Butler I grew up in a family with five children, so I don’t really recall life ever being very fair. There was always somebody who got more ice cream or less consequences than I did. Much of the…
Beginning a journey
By Amy Butler Dear Riverside Community, There are moments in life when we know that we are standing on holy ground, when we are overtaken with the knowledge that God is here, and when the call of God in our…
Remember, new ministers — you’re incidental
By Amy Butler What’s the most important piece of advice you would give yourself if you could go back in time to your seminary graduation and have a conversation with your newly credentialed self? I had the occasion last week…
Reframing reality
By Amy Butler Even though we’re already several weeks away, one of the passages read commonly during Holy Week is still ringing in my ears. You’ll recall the exchange between Pilate and Jesus in John, chapter 18, where Jesus mentions…
The pressure cooker
By Amy Butler There are seasons of intensity in any line of work, and in the world of ministry Holy Week and Christmas run neck and neck. I personally think Holy Week is harder, not in small part due to…