“ 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents…” – Philippians 1:27-28During my years of playing basketball I’ve had the fortune of playing on some exce...  Read More

“9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”  Philippians 1:9-11Coming off last week’s panel discussion with Pastor Micah, Pastor DeWayne, ...  Read More

During the time of Judah’s exile in Persia, the prophet Nehemiah received word concerning a remnant of Jews who had escaped the exile and were living in Jerusalem. The report described a broken people, crumbled city walls and gates destroyed by fire. Nehemiah responded with anguished weeping, mourning, and fasting. As he cried out to God, he said,“…let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to ...  Read More

“…with liberty and justice for all.” Those words stand tall in the collective conscience of our nation. Most of us will recognize those meaty words as the closing refrain to our pledge of allegiance.  This week there were two events that gave me pause and a chance to reflect on those words. The first was our annual Memorial Day holiday and my time serving as the co-chaplain for the Nisei Veterans ...  Read More

One of the blessings of the ‘stay at home’ order is that families have been spending a lot of time together. Rita and I go on walks together and we often see husbands and wives along with children walking or riding their bikes together, dads shooting baskets with their kids, building things with them, kicking soccer balls…In the midst of a global pandemic and a weakening economy, many families hav...  Read More

It’s been almost four months since Kobe Bryant died in the tragic helicopter accident that shocked and shook our country and was felt in other parts of the world as well. No doubt that this aviation tragedy made the news and stayed in our collective conscience and conversations largely because Kobe Bryant was a basketball icon. Bryant’s accomplishments included 5 NBA titles, 15 All-NBA team select...  Read More

A couple of weeks ago, Rita, Kyle, and I donated blood as part of the Bloodworks NW blood drive. It was exciting to see our ministry center transformed into a pop-up donation center and filled with people from the community giving this precious, life-saving resource. There was a wonderful sense of being part of a worthy cause as people from all walks of life are stepping up to care for others. The...  Read More

‘I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ Ephesians 4:1-3What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the calling we have received? The Apostle Paul wrote this letter whi...  Read More

At the beginning of the new year, no one was talking about Covid-19. In just 4 months the entire world has been turned upside down and no one saw it coming. Government leaders around the world have been criticized for being slow to respond and ill prepared for this crisis. There’s no shortage of finger pointing and blaming going around for the scarcity of PPE’s, the tanking economy, food shortages...  Read More

Like many of you, I’ve been working mostly from home for the last couple of months.  Sometimes I will break up my day by taking walks with Rita throughout our neighborhood. We see many people walking their dog, strolling with their toddlers, shooting baskets, or doing yard work. Many are using this time to tackle that home project that was at one time very low on the ‘to do’ list but has risen to ...  Read More

Pastor Joe's thoughts for Good Friday 2020...  Read More

Psalm 16:8-108 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.  9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.  10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.’During my trip to the east coast I visited the World Trade Center memorial.  It was a sobering experience to relive the...  Read More