In his letter to the Ephesians (2:10), the Apostle Paul wrote: For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. For we are what God has made us… The New International Version puts it this way, “For we are […]
Every year at Christmas we tell this same story. We talk about peace, good news, and great joy. But, are these just words? Is this just a quaint story? When we look around and we don’t see much in the way of peace. What we see is great division, conflict, poverty, and war. The author […]
You may remember that in the Christmas story, an angel appears to a group of shepherds tending their flocks. And Luke tells us that the glory of the Lord shown around them. And they were terrified. How often do we find ourselves afraid? Afraid of the unknown… what will the diagnosis be? What will happen […]
Several years ago, our church hosted a musical based on the book of Esther. Esther is a pretty amazing character whose courage saves her people from total destruction. It’s interesting: even though God’s name is never mentioned in the book, it is clear that God is at work through her behind the scenes. Think about […]
Several years ago, my friend Amy Camp, shared a story with me. Just before Christmas, an elderly couple from her church asked her to come by and bring communion to their home. The man had had a stroke and was unable to speak more than just a few words. As Amy sat down and began […]
Some time ago, I read a compelling story about a statue called “Christ of the Andes.” In 1988, the people of Argentina and Chile were on the brink of war. At the last moment, an Argentine bishop stepped in and appealed for peace between the two countries. In response, a Chilean bishop joined the cause, […]
In one of his creative sermons, author and pastor Leonard Sweet gave a new twist to the acronym ASAP. Usually, we think of ASAP to stand for As Soon As Possible. But Rev. Sweet encourages us to Always Say A Prayer… “There’s work to do, deadlines to meet, and you’ve got no time to spare, […]
Today I would like to say a special word of thanks to those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Your gifts make this ministry possible! Years ago Erma Bombeck wrote about two very different times in her husband’s life: The first was back when their children were young. […]
Some friends from my congregation once gave me a short but powerful parable written by the Lutheran pastor, Gene Thiemann. It was titled, “The Mouse and the Snowflake.” It goes like this: “A mouse once asked a dove to tell him the weight of a snowflake. ‘Nothing,’ was the answer. But then the mouse told […]
Yesterday, I shared some personal reflections on being a church. Here are a few more. I think about church, I think about a moment in my own life when I was deeply in need. Coming into a quiet sanctuary to pray early one Sunday morning. And one of the elders, Roger Tompkins, came in, sat […]
