We made the lightbulb, but our body doesn't know.

So, the 10th anniversary of my ordination will take place September 27th. That journey began in February of 2013. What follows are some chronological observations, leading up to the present. I have been paid to think theologically since 1984. Starting with University of Detroit, The Jesuit Program of Living and Learning, and my consulting practice that focused on urban ministry, and building a community of compassion. In 2007 I received my doctorate from The Ecumenical Theol

Singers are invited to join us to sing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus!

I have always been captivated by the way fog transforms our space, the surface of the Earth, bringing the ever-distant clouds - the heavens - down to our reach.

#stjohnelca #kindness

For the person who attempts to follow Jesus, it is understood that God owns everything. That God is love. That God created everything and that all people are sacred. The Peace has no limits and sometimes it forces very hard questions. But in the end The Peace should be applied to everything. To government, business, medicine, education, etc. There is no compromise. The problem we all have is that generally, the functions mentioned above do not significantly follow The Peace.

I’ve been on break from teaching. It has been a much needed time to refresh.

First off, I want to thank you for the wonderful Christmas gift! I have already used a portion of it to buy an exercise bike. Beth and I will find other uses for the gift and I am excited about that! I also want to thank you for your prayer support this past year. You have been with me for the third time when I have needed adjustments to my meds for depression. I want to thank you for your encouragement as we move our mission forward. We have a community that is positive an

We may find the water a bit too deep for comfort. Maybe the waves are starting to look scary. Do we know how to swim?

When I ask this question, I am referring to our wellbeing. How do we feel physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and socially. Usually, these experiences are interconnected. One can be off, affecting other aspects of our life. Some of this is guided by our expectations of life. Are we about where we hope to be or not? Of course, then we might ask ourselves. “How are these expectations determined?” Whose standard of life are we choosing? The standard I

A couple of years ago, Pastor Mark expressed a desire to turn the parish house into a home for physically challenged individuals. After consulting with Community Living Centers (CLC) and much planning, it finally became a reality about a year ago. Now we have begun to move ahead with a plan to further engage with the three male residents, Nick, Ryan and Michael, to plan some monthly activities. A couple of months ago, a group of St. John members met with the CLC supervisor,

The video below is by a guy named Eric Sajdak of Merit Financial Advisors. We chose them to manage our investments because Chris had watched many of Eric's videos and liked his philosophy. This video has a lot to say about financial management, but it also has a lot to say about our relationship with our money - how we choose to accumulate it and how we choose to spend it (something Jesus talked about constantly!). This is the time of year that many churches run their annual

Last Sunday, Olaf Lidums shared some thoughts on music and the importance of music in our lives and in our worship. Martin Luther also had some thoughts on this. For example: "We can mention only one point (which experience confirms), namely, that next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. No greater commendation than this can be found — at least not by us. After all, the gift of language combined with the gift of song was only given to man to let him know th

“Create in me a clean heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” --Psalm 51 “Father, forgive them they know not what they do.” --Luke 23 I believe that forgiveness is the key to unlock in the most powerful way the other aspects of The Peace. (Compassion, Mercy, Justice, Forgiveness, and Grace.) It may be the most difficult to achieve. Remember in Matthew 18 when Peter asked Jesus. “How often must I forgive? Up to 7 times?” Jesus responded “No, 70 times 7 times.” Hold

As Pastor Mark and Beth prepare for a trip to Scotland, he reflects on the best way to approach new places and new people. #pastormarkfisher #stjohnelca #scotland #eyesofChrist #sharethepeace

Ed. note: last month, Sean Michael Jackman, our Director of Worship and Music, visited Leipzig, Germany for Bachfest as part of his professional development. What follows is a summary of his trip. Our trip to Germany was made possible, in part, with funds from my professional development allowance at St. John. I am so thankful for this experience. We experienced world-class music in historic settings. Bachfest is one of the premier music festivals worldwide and attracts mus

Since making this realization, I find the words of Joni Mitchell running through my mind.

#Faith, #Peace, #Jesus, #Shalom, #SacredandLoved #innerpeace, #serenitynow #stjohnelca, #pastormarkfisher

When we think about what threatens society the most, we often assume it’s evil, but Dietrich Bonhoeffer believed that stupidity, not evil, is the greatest danger to humanity. #StJohnELCA #stupidity #Bonhoffer #Pastor Mark Fisher

#StJohnHouse #StJohnELCA