This past week we have had a lot of rain. And when we walk on clay-rich soil that has been soaked with rain, our boots get heavier as the mud accumulates under our feet. It is a good idea to clean our boots before we track mud into places where mud isn’t welcomed....
Reflections
Who said that? Change the present, change the future
We begin our new worship series on Sunday, September 8. It’s called Back to the future. But our new series is not so much about time travel as the focus. During our series, I plan to ask a lot of questions about the future that you are hoping will come true for you....
Back to the future: Who do you say He is?
The movie, Back to the future, is about a 17-year-old, Marty McFly, who experiences time travel in his friend’s invention. Marty’s trip illustrates a paradox. What if he does something that alters the future? In the movie’s storyline, Marty has to find a way to make...
Once upon a time: the elements of style
I remember buying a book for a writing class years ago. The book was titled The Elements of Style. One of the contemporary versions of this book is now in its 4th edition. I haven’t opened this book in years and I’m not sure if I could find it. The Elements of Style...
Superpower: Join the faith hall of fame
Have you ever visited a “hall of fame” such as the one dedicated to people who played a prominent role in rock-and-roll located in Cleveland, Ohio? It must be quite an honor for your name to appear there. There is a link on their website for the 2019 inductees. You...
Home Alone: What Smoking and Loneliness Have in Common
The last time I visited my doctor I was handed a form to fill out while I waited. The form asked a bunch of questions about my feelings. I presumed that this particular clinic is on the outlook for problems that I may be experiencing that could affect my health. I...
Catty: Who do they say I am?
One of the many treasures that I receive whenever I read scripture, particularly the stories told by and about Jesus, is I frequently learn something new. The subject of what I learn varies from new insights about God to insights about others, to insights about...
Flight School: Teaching Others to Fly
I was a young adult when I first attended flight school. Learning to fly consists of both in the air learning and instruction while safely on the ground. Learning to fly begins with actually experiencing the thrill of taking the controls of an airplane to make sure...
Welcome Home
Francis Chan shares a personal story in his book Forgotten God about his spiritual journey. Francis shares that growing up in a Christian home he accepted Christ while in high school but fell away for a period of time, like so many young persons do at that age. Later,...
Altars Everywhere
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest...