Bring on Spring… John 11:25, 38-43; 12:12-27
The weather has been about as unpredictable as the stock market these days. But hey it’s February/March we should be accustomed to some volatility. I well remember several Marches ago the weathercasters told us the big one was coming–Twelve to Twenty inches worth moving our way—unusual for a March. So people trudged off to the […]
Seven Deadly Sins
Sermon Series In the lurid movie Seven, starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, a maniacal killer roams the streets killing a string of victims in a series of gruesome murders. The detectives are stumped until they realize that the perpetrator is killing his victims as sort of sick punishment for their having committed one of […]
Waiting for the Lord: Read Luke 7:18-23
What is Advent? Unfortunately for so many it’s a season that brings on tension and stress as we get ready for Christmas. Imagine how the conversation would have possibly gone if Archie Bunker had ever talked about Christmas with his son-in-law, Michael. Michael says to Arch, “Well, what is Advent anyway Arch? I bet you […]
Homecoming
John 15:19 I have chosen you out of the world, so you don’t belong to it. Recently I received an invitation from Messiah College advertising the return of Home Coming Week. It’s a nostalgic time to return to campus and see old friends talk about old times and have all kinds of social functions with […]
Power in Weakness
Tuesday one week ago, in retrospect, I made the foolish decision to mix it up in a Basketball game at 10:30 p.m. at my gym. Having played basketball competitively throughout my life this seemed like a rather natural and instinctual choice. The result at least this time, was that I came down badly from a […]
The Fire Within
Psalm 40:8 My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart. A few years ago, I participated in the Ministerial Installation service of a very close friend. After the Service, in the receiving line, a man passing through commented on something I had said during the service. His comment […]
No Judgment Zone
Matthew 7:2 You will be judged in the same way you judge others. I was recently talking with an old friends who has left church—in fact he tells me he is glad to no longer be part of a religious expression. Knowing that he was formerly very involved in his faith and even Pastored a […]
Now What?
Is there anything as over as Christmas? Colorful wrapping paper and bright ribbons are reduced to trash as quickly as gifts are torn open. Fresh green trees that have graced many of our homes for weeks begin to drop needles until they are discarded on streets, waiting collection. Even artificial trees are stored in plastic […]
Deleting Junk
Part of the simplifying of my life has led me to exercise more and more purging of the unnecessary from my existence. I recently discovered some uncomfortable and difficult communications, which I had saved and kept in a file folder. There was great freedom in recognizing it was part of an old battlefield in my […]
Mental Enrichment
I entitled last month’s Newsletter article Refusing Trashy Thoughts and quoted from James Allen’s book As a Man Thinketh—“A person’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must and will bring forth.” I want to go further this month […]