“Thankful Turkeys” and Reign of Christ Sunday
How can we grasp gratitude when it feels far away, wonders Aaron Neff?
More Stories from this Author
Inspiring leadership
The Presbyterian motto “decently and in order” may reinforce the status quo instead of pushing the boundaries. How does our denomination develop leaders, Aaron Neff wonders?
A land that heals us
Nature melts away our differences, writes Aaron Neff. We are all in need of this type of healing.
Sabbath as a palace in time
Aaron Neff reflects on sabbath in conversations with parents and a rabbi.
Wildfires and empathy
What the wildfires in Canada have reminded Aaron Neff about the power of listening.
Investing in relationships over church programs
The church’s potential to reach the younger generations depends on our ability to prioritize relational ministry over programmatic ministry, writes Aaron Neff.
The gift of an invitation
What one late friend taught Aaron Neff about belonging.
Let’s stop denying death
By acknowledging and admitting the reality of death, we put our own lives into proper perspective, writes Aaron Neff.
Longing for the homeland
Can the church live into its call to be a family?
Epiphany: God speaks to us all
The story of the three Magi (magicians) in Matthew 2 reminds Aaron Neff that God is always revealing God's self in unexpected ways.
Is it hope or wishful thinking?
To Aaron Neff, the difference between hope and wishful thinking is evidence. In this article, he explores the foundation for our Christian hope.
Finding Jesus in a prison cell
How are we supposed to love our enemies (as Jesus tells us) and live in a just society?
The heart of Christianity
Aaron Neff, who grew up in a religiously fundamental environment, shares how studying the Bible taught him to stop using it as a weapon against LGBTQIA+ folx.
The importance of difference
Rather than being suspicious of other viewpoints, Aaron Neff has learned to embrace disparity as a potential vehicle for the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit has been calling women to leadership for centuries
Citing the all-women synagogue of Acts 16, the female leaders of the Philippian church and the “Mother of Quakerism” Margaret Fell, Rev. Aaron Neff argues that the Spirit does not discriminate against gender, humans do.
Books we love: The Pastor in a Secular Age
Author Andrew Root reminds Pastor Aaron Neff that his job matters in the secular age. Pastoral ministry is grounded in a radical affirmation of personhood, and this meets an important need.
How St. Augustine’s hermeneutic of love brought me to the PC(USA)
PC(USA) pastor Aaron Neff chooses to be Presbyterian because he believes in Scripture and, above all else, love. While no denomination is perfect, he has faith in this one, despite any mistakes we make.
God’s transcendence and immanence in nature
"I’ve become convinced that the incarnation of Jesus in the world was not just about God becoming human but, in a larger way, about God becoming part of creation itself."
Love them anyway: Foot-washing during Holy Week
John 13's foot-washing scene leads Aaron Neff to remember people who have hurt and betrayed him. “Love them anyway,” Jesus says.
Palm Sunday as a call to non-violence
I believe the lesson of Palm Sunday is about our tendency to confuse God’s call for humility with a call to grasp for power, writes Aaron Neff.
A retelling of Psalm 130: Seeking a fortress
Lent is a season of the liturgical year that invites us to lament the brokenness of our lives. The psalms are ideal..
You are dust, and to dust you will return … but not forever
In life, God gives us meaning and purpose. This continues, even in death, writes Aaron Neff.
Cultivating gratitude through awareness
I sometimes use a practice called the wheel of awareness, which I learned from reading Daniel J. Siegel, a clinical professor of..
A mistake, a loaf of bread and something sacred
At my first church as a pastor, the session organized an effort to reach out to inactive members of the church. Each..
Caregiving and the digital church
Recently on my way home from work, my wife asked me to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few..