I was reading something the other day about “confirmation bias.”  Maybe you’ve heard of it.  Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon that explains why people tend to seek out information that confirms their existing opinions and overlook or ignore information that refutes their beliefs. Unfortunately, almost everyone does it.  For instance, we tend to “tune in” to news that confirms things we already believe…

I heard a story about a young minister who was called upon to do his first funeral. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he decided to read the Gospels and see what Jesus said when he went to a funeral. He was amazed to discover that whenever Jesus attended a funeral it turned into a resurrection! (When I first heard that…

Last fall, I attended a seminar on church leadership called “Momentum.” One of the speakers from the host church mentioned in passing that the Sunday when everybody “falls back” an hour for daylight savings time is one of their highest attendance Sundays of the year. As I thought about our own worship attendance, I realized the same was true for us. Well,…

When I preached at the community Lenten service this week, I shared a story about moving into our house in Keokuk. A couple of months after unpacking everything, we noticed a bad smell coming from somewhere in the kitchen. We looked, but couldn’t find anything. Finally, the smell got so bad we tore apart the kitchen inch by inch until we found…

Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday. The day immediately preceding it is called Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday got its name because it was the day when Catholic families used up all of the lard in their houses cooking pastries and pancakes so they wouldn’t have any animal fat left in their homes on the first day of Lent,…

The Lenten season begins next Wednesday (February 18). Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and self-discovery. Therefore, this year at First Christian Church you are invited to find your place in the journey of faith, both in L.I.F.E groups and in worship. On Wednesday evenings, folks in our L.I.F.E groups will be discovering the S.H.A.P.E. of their lives. Each one of…

Do you remember your dreams? Some people say they don’t, but scientists tell us that everyone dreams. Most of the time, our dreams are a product of our subconscious working on issues of which our conscious minds may or may not be aware. Sometimes they are just the brain’s version of housekeeping. But occasionally I believe God speaks to us in our…

On January 6 we celebrated Epiphany, the day the wisemen traditionally caught up with the Holy Family. One of the details Matthew includes in his nativity story is that after giving the baby Jesus their gifts, “the wisemen returned by another road.” (Matt. 2:12) Like the magi in the story, I believe we also stand at a crossroads. We now stand at…

The New Year is upon us! Of course, for most Americans, New Years has become another excuse to eat, drink and watch football (and I’m right there with you!). However, for the ancient Hebrews, the New Year was a deeply spiritual occasion. It was at this festival Israel crowned her kings and rededicated themselves to their covenant with God. In the elaborate…

Apparently the flu virus is making the rounds and it’s not one for which I (or anyone else) have been inoculated. Unfortunately, the person I sleep with every night has come down with it. As we all know, the flu virus is highly contagious. But then again, so are a lot of other bad things – like negativity, despair, and depression. The…