Category Archives: generosity

A better story…on what to do with the rest of your life, and saying yes

Posted on June 14, 2011 by raincitypastor

(I’m happy to introduce my youngest daughter, Holly Dahlstrom, to you.  Her joy, courage, and love of people inspire me.  Her capacity to hear God’s voice and follow is a reminder to us all that “a better story” awaits, if … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, intimacy, justice, life | 4 Comments

The rest of the story—and a way to share it

Posted on May 26, 2011 by raincitypastor

Yes.  Of course.  Westboro Baptist church is planning a protest for President Obama’s visit to Joplin, Mo., to inflict a little hate and misery, in Jesus’ name.  That the rapture didn’t happen this past Saturday was in the news as … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, justice | 2 Comments

Hope has primary colors…

Posted on May 2, 2011 by raincitypastor

…and those colors aren’t personal peace and prosperity (“give me my stuff and leave me alone”), individualism, and “heaven when I die.” Or perhaps I should say, those aren’t God’s primary colors.  I love how God has taken all the … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, intimacy, justice | 2 Comments

Climbing Kilimanjaro step by step – Lessons for America from Africa

Posted on January 13, 2011 by raincitypastor

In about 11 hours our team from Seattle will board a flight that will take us (eventually, by the 5th airport) to Seattle, and we’ll be home, our exploratory trip of this region completed.  We came here in order to … Continue reading →

Posted in church, generosity, justice | 2 Comments

Good News…Great Joy…All People

Posted on December 24, 2010 by raincitypastor

Over the past two years, the church I pastor in Seattle has invested well over 300 thousand dollars in providing clean water for villages in Africa.  We do this through the excellent work of “Living Water International” because they don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, justice | 1 Comment

Christmas Vacation: filling hospitality with joy instead of tension

Posted on December 22, 2010 by raincitypastor

Looking for a better way of being together than “Christmas Vacation”?  read on: “Dwelling” is a great word. It can mean the space in which we occupy our lives: “My dwelling was built in 1928, and leans a little bit … Continue reading →

Posted in coffee with God, generosity, intimacy | 3 Comments

What to do with your extra Tunics

Posted on December 9, 2010 by raincitypastor

Blogging has allowed me to meet people from all over the world, and I’m happy to introduce one of them to you in todays guest post.  Joshua Becker is a blogger who is deeply involved in his church on the … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, Inhaling | 6 Comments

The Perfect Storm: Finding Liberty in Simplicity

Posted on November 16, 2010 by raincitypastor

I went running this morning in my shoeless shoes, pondering the fresh health I’m enjoying in my running because I’ve been liberated from the belief that the foot needs something other than itself to run well.  It’s not the point … Continue reading →

Posted in bridges, generosity, Inhaling | 21 Comments

Looking for “more” or “less”?

Posted on August 11, 2010 by raincitypastor

There’s a rock and a hard place unfolding in the global economy.  The rock: We need to buy lots of stuff to keep the economic machinery going, so that there will be enough jobs, because when there are lots of … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, justice, questions, Rule of Life | 9 Comments

“humanity”…or the person next to me?

Posted on July 14, 2010 by raincitypastor

“The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.” – Fyoder Dostoevsky I’m reading some Russian classics this summer, and was recently reminded of this quote, one of my favorites.  Our friend Fyoder has put … Continue reading →

Posted in generosity, justice | 8 Comments