The adult choir would like to invite anyone, ages high school – ?? who loves to sing to join us for our Easter cantata. This year’s cantata is “Where Love and Mercy Meet” and is a beautiful mix of popular new music and beloved classics. Through song and narration it highlights Jesus’ commitment to all…
This week, I’m writing my Last Word from the Minister’s Institute at the Christian Conference Center in Newton. As it has in other years, the snow is flying and it’s not really safe to come or go. However, that didn’t stop one of my dinner mates, who made it about a mile down the road…
At the last board meeting a question was asked about giving envelopes and their importance along with questions regarding annual statements. So I wanted to take a moment to explain the process. The IRS requires that a statement be given to any individual who gives a one-time donation of $250 or more— Say you tithe…
Last summer, Tammy and I tried our hand at gardening by growing a couple of cucumber plants outside our back door. We were a little late in getting started, but once those plants started producing cucumbers, I was in pickle heaven! And that’s a good thing, because the store-bought pickles I crave are really expensive.…
Are you good at keeping your New Year’s Resolution by making them attainable? A new year is a great time to get recharged and refocused on what God has in store for you to grow and change. A positive attitude and an open mind to be obedient to what God has planned for you are…
Yesterday, I heard an interview with the editor of a series of books called “The Last Interview.” Apparently, not long before their deaths, authors like Ernest Hemmingway and Philip K. Dick were interviewed about their lives and their writing. The perspectives of the authors were varied. For instance, Philip K. Dick loved to talk about…
If you were at 10:05 Worship Dec. 27, you witnessed how giddy I am with babies within my reach! We dedicated three young fellas and I finally got my hands on Mr. Angel Garcia who was promptly smooched and snuggled right there on the chancel! Welcoming little ones into the body of Christ is so…
There’s an old story about a husband who was very sick and in the hospital. He had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months and yet his faithful wife had stayed by his bedside every day. One day, he woke up and whispered to her, “You have been with me through…
As Christmas fades into the New Year, we look ahead to the year to come, and we look back on the year behind us. We look back on memories made, friends gained, and loved ones we’ve lost. Each New Year’s Eve, as the ball drops we hear that old song “should old acquaintance be forgot…”…
The coming of a New Year is a chance for us all to do a little reflection on our lives and see if there aren’t some things that need to change. In theological language, we have a word for this process: it’s called repentance. Repentance is different than regret. Regret is looking back and saying,…