Traditions are comfortable, and many of us find great comfort in our traditions surrounding Christmas. My mother had a pattern of preparing for and celebrating Christmas, so we could expect several things to happen every year. My mother began Christmas shopping at the end of September. Right before Thanksgiving, Mom began baking and filled several … [Read more…]
The Thanksgiving holiday and season is a great opportunity for the church. Many people, whether they have faith or not, are prompted to be grateful for those things we might take for granted, like daily food, a place to live, the freedoms of our country, and so on. In Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13, Solomon reminds us … [Read more…]
Throughout this year of preaching and teaching about the new life that God provides through Jesus’ death and resurrection and our faith in him, I have pointed out the contrast between that new life and our old lives. Through each message, I have invited people to make an exchange of their old life for new … [Read more…]
My siblings and I are big fans of the TV show MASH. One of my favorite bits is from the “Bug Out” episode in which Radar, the company clerk, brings Col. Potter his lunch, a cold Spam sandwich, which Potter rejects, ordering Radar to tell the mess sergeant to get the kitchen back together. When … [Read more…]
It’s amazing how easily we are distracted from our primary focus. Think about what happens when a cellphone rings. Even the most careful driver is tempted, if not immediately prompted, to look when it rings while they’re on the road, but just for a moment, right? Even if the phone isn’t your own, do you … [Read more…]
New Clothes! Alright, this is a little out of character for me (if it’s not, let me know!), but I’m kind of proud of the results of the ongoing changes I’ve been making to my eating habits. Since September 2021, I’ve lost about 80 pounds. Among the results I’ve experienced from that, I move better, … [Read more…]
I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for just about anything new, especially new technology – phones, computers, tools, software, whatever, if it’s new, I’m interested. The only thing that really keeps me from living on the “bleeding edge” of technology and being an obsessive early adopter is the mind-boggling price tag. Fortunately, because of my … [Read more…]
As I write this article, I’m watching snowflakes float past my window. Even though several of my friends had mowed their lawns on Good Friday, most of them posted photos of snow-covered lawns the day after Easter. Go ahead, check the date of this newsletter; honest, it’s really spring. I have to admit that I … [Read more…]
A few weeks ago, I mentioned in the sermon one of my mother’s favorite movies, “The Quiet Man,” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, in which the main character, Sean Thornton, was caught in a no-win situation, having to choose between fighting for his wife’s dowry and keeping his vow to never fight again. While … [Read more…]
One of the foundational principles of the church, as far as identifying what we do as the church, comes from Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” This simple statement indicates that the early church focused its attention on four elements: … [Read more…]