Rev. Ethan Brown, Pastor and Minister of Care & Discipleship

Easter Sunday morning, 45 of us gathered in the cool morning air of the amphitheater to greet the dawn and remember that Jesus is alive. As we worshipped, the world awoke around us. The fragile glow of the sun strengthened into true morning light and the woods became alive with the sound of birds. Dozens of different calls joined our own to confess the life and new creation of God pulsing all around and within us. Thinking back, I have no idea what birds were present. They were mostly hidden...

Tuesday, March 31, was a high and holy day at Highland Hills. The sacred nature of this particular Tuesday had nothing to do with its participation in Holy Week festivities, though if you celebrated the withered fig tree of Mark 11, I’ll give you a gold star for the day. No, the celebratory air wafting across the church grounds had no other cause than that it was a 5th Tuesday (not 3rd, nor 2nd, and certainly not 6th). 5th Tuesdays are important. They occur rarely across the calendar and on...

The ‘Iwa bird, or the Great Frigatebird is a common sight along Pacific island coasts. Those of you who have visited the Hawaiian islands are probably familiar with their distinctive ‘V’-shaped tails soaring high overhead. ‘Iwa birds are known for soaring way in the sky for days or weeks at a time giving them the literal bird’s eye view as they search for the dark shape of fish in the waters below. Yet these birds nest and eat close to the ground in the company of other birds, deep in the...