Learning From Our Children A middle-school girl knew there were students in her community who didn’t have the school supplies they needed. She started a backpack/supply drive and before school began, she was ready to distribute enough filled backpacks to all the kids who needed them. High school students supportedRead More →
What Does This Mean? The new PBS account of the life and times of Martin Luther aired earlier this week and was a fascinating look at this man, who was a monk, a scholar, a teacher, and a reformer. Although he was well educated and had opportunities above that ofRead More →
God’s Work. Our Hands. Recently the hymn, “Catch the Vision, Share the Glory” (Hymnal Supplement 1991) was used during our worship service. That is one of my favorite hymns and the last verse particularly speaks to me: “For this time and place we have been born. Gifted by the Spirit, trainedRead More →
Your Labor is Not in Vain Labor Day weekend is upon us, and for probably a majority of people, the original purpose of this holiday is probably a little murky. For many, it’s the last chance for a short trip as summer wraps up; for others, it’s a weekend toRead More →
All I Really Need to Know . . . It’s back to school time, and whether there’s a student in your family or circle of friends and acquaintances, there is a sense of change, something of a shift in the activity and energy level around us. Remembering those “first days”Read More →
From Darkness to Light “What has come into being him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:3b-5) “Let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your goodRead More →
On Reading the Bible How do you go about reading the Bible? Some people keep a regular schedule and study a passage of scripture every day. Others of us follow the printed texts of the weekend bulletin as they are read during worship, sometimes taking the bulletin home to rereadRead More →
Changing and Unchanging “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” – I Corinthians 5:17 “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, . . . There is no longer Jew or Greek, thereRead More →
Saying Grace Can you remember learning a table prayer for the first time, or does it seem you’ve always had at least one, and possibly more, in your memory bank? In many family groups, our little ones may simply say (with parental coaching) “God bless our food. Amen.” Or aRead More →
Weeds and Seeds “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.” – Matthew 13:24b-26 Occasionally,Read More →