Happy St Patrick’s Day! I have always loved this day ever since I read the autobiography of Patrick. It is the second autobiography ever written after ‘The Confessions of St Augustine,” being the first. Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates in the late 400’s from Britain. After six years as a slave working in fields, he escaped and returned home. ...
Read MoreEaster is getting closer and one of the ways I see this is in a perennial Lilly bulb that I planted 18 years ago. Here is a picture of the plant in front of the first building. The plant is looking like it can bloom in about a week or two. It usually blooms either the last week of March...
Read MoreOne of my favorite challenges to give to the Confirmation class is to have them give different names of Jesus from the Bible. The group record was 71 that a class two years ago came up with. There are about 105-110 by most New Testament scholar's opinion. This second to the last verse of 1 John has one that was...
Read MoreJohn begins his very first letter much like he begins his Gospel. The Gospel marvels at the incarnate Word who is and was God from all time. In the letter, John marvels at Jesus and views Him from his perspective and with his various senses: hearing; touching; and seeing. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which...
Read MoreSometimes the words and view of scripture do not always match up with the way we think and prioritize life. I thought of that reading this verse from 3 John today. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.(3 John 1:2-4) I...
Read MoreYesterday in the sermon I mentioned an H.G Wells quote that I love. "If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters." Wells was an English science fiction writer that thought about the future and what it all means? The heart of this quote talks about the purpose and meaning of things and of...
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Happy Sabbath Day! Our Old Testament reading for this weekend has been the 10 Commandments from Exodus chapter 20. One of them is: remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. This was misunderstood in Jesus day. One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The...
Read MoreI have been reading through the Psalms this week and this verse stuck out in my mind. Here David speaks to “gods” about the Lord and His unfailing love. I will praise you Lord with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name for your...
Read MoreIn the little kid’s chapel this week I started talking about the fruit of the Spirit. One of them that is elusive to me at times is patience. (remember: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) This Psalm speaks of the struggles we have with patience. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word...
Read MoreContinuing to read in the Psalms, the first verse here reminds me of the saying, God is good all the time. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever. Let Israel say, His love endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say, His love endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord say, His love endures...
Read MoreOne of the great insights from the book we read at Book Club, “Life Together” was talking about praying the Psalms. In fact, the prayer book that Jesus used was the Book of Psalms. Just as he taught us the Lord’s Prayer, we can also pray like Jesus when we pray the Psalms. I call on you, O God, for...
Read MoreOne of the more challenging things in life is to always speak the truth. There is a Jim Carrey movie that plays on this whole theme called Liar, Liar. Jim is an attorney who for 24 hours has to tell the truth because of a wish of his son. This is terrible because as a lawyer he would often spin...
Read MoreMost of us, at least at some point, want to be known for something. For some, you may want to be known as a great musician or artist. For others, it may be as a great teacher. Watching the Winter Olympics, I see a bunch of people who want to be known not only as a great athlete but as...
Read MoreI am going to go back to continue with John 15 after yesterday’s reflection on Billy Graham. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I...
Read MoreToday is one of the most important days of the year. It is Good Friday the day Jesus died on the cross. I am always asked by the kids in chapel why is this day called good, when the most terrible thing happened? Here is the answer. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so...
Read MoreCan you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret from God? Absolutely not. Jesus knew of this plan and took steps to make sure it did not disrupt his plans. Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid...
Read MoreWe have started Holy Week and one of the things Jesus did this week caused quite a commotion in the Temple. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone...
Read MoreWhat is holy ground? I have heard of several Christian coffee shops using the name Holy Grounds. Holy ground is when we come into the presence of God. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to...
Read MoreMonday I talked about praying in an unusual place. Today I want to talk about regular planned prayer and what Daniel did when he prayed toward Jerusalem. So King Darius put the decree in writing. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times...
Read MoreHave you ever seen the face or felt the powerful presence of Jesus in something you have done? One place where that happens for me fairly regularly is at our homeless feeding. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited...
Read More“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9 I do love baseball. I love the history and the stories. I remember hearing about Hank Aaron coming to back against the Yankees in the World Series. Yogi berra...
Read More“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. “ -Exodus 20:12 This year on Fathers day my thoughts have turned to my father out in Arizona. He is awaiting back surgery but is waiting for his blood pressure and overall health to be a bit more stable...
Read More"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust. Surely he will save me from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his...
Read More“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” -Romans 8: 15-16 Tuesday night I was watching one of the few TV shows I watch NCIS (I am...
Read MoreHe has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. -Micah 6:8 Sometimes a single Bible passage says a lot about life. This is one of those passages. Here God talks about three things essential for life. The first...
Read MoreA few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because...
Read MoreO LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you...
Read More“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13) I think everyone remembers this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Mothers and fathers play a crucial role in the world. In the second tablet of the Commandments given to Moses that is concerned with how people dealing with each other, parents are the first and most important ingredient...
Read MoreThen Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. He prayed: “In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God. He answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’ You heard my cry. You threw me into ocean’s depths, into a watery grave, With ocean waves, ocean breakers crashing over me. I said, ‘I’ve been...
Read More"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." -Revelation 2:17 Revelation was initially written to seven churches that John...
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