I am probably getting in way over my head here, but I have a question; How do you see God? I was talking with a man last week and he was struggling with questions about how to console a friend. I don’t know the specifics and they are not important to this discussion. This man’s friend had…
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greeting in this Easter season in the name of the Risen Christ! “Then Christ opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” Luke 24:45. Psalm 4 asks the question, “how long”? What are your “how longs”? The racial injustice we are witnessing? The covid pandemic? Issues of addiction? Economic challenges?…
We were back at Rock Canyon HS to stream worship on Sunday and it was great. We considered what it means to “practice resurrection” in our lives. We reflected on the story of the disciples and Thomas meeting the risen Jesus. Thomas leads us into doubt. Resurrection thinking is learning to rethink what we thought…
“Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith, it is an element of faith.” Paul Tillich When you hear the name of Jesus’ disciple, Thomas, what comes to mind? Probably “doubting Thomas”, right? The story in the Gospel of John, the 20th chapter is the one where the risen Christ appears among the disciples, but Thomas wasn’t…
Our Friday morning men’s group is reading an excellent book by Henri Nouwen titled “Here and Now: Living in the Spirit”. The following is an excerpt from Nouwen’s chapter about Joy. “The great challenge of faith is to be surprised by joy. I remember sitting at a dinner table with friends discussing the economic depression of the…
Opening Day of baseball was on April 1st, back to a normal start date after last year’s delayed and shortened season. Needless to say, I am pretty happy and wrote this devotion with a baseball game on in the background. It’s a sign that life is starting to get back to normal. But as things…
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As a pastor, I have noted when people report their visionary, mystical experiences to me from time to time, that these contemporary experiences of the risen Christ have an uncanny resemblance to the narratives in the Gospels that describe appearances of the risen Christ. (See Mark 16:1-8 for further reflection.) When…
Terrys’ grandfather Fred died when he was 96 years old. He was Pennsylvania Dutch and had a very whimsical way of looking at the world. One of my favorite phrases he would say is “nothing beats fun.” SO, I decided to have some fun with my devotion this month. I hope it makes you smile. A 5th grade…
It was a beautiful morning to gather to celebrate the resurrection of our living Savior. We gathered in a group outdoors at 8:30 and then streamed live at 10:00 am. We live through Good Friday, knowing that God comes to bring us together into new life. If you missed being with us, you can watch…
Today is Holy Saturday. Well, every Saturday is holy. But this Saturday is the day of the almost and not yet of Jesus’ resurrection. We often find ourselves in times of almost and not yet, so this day helps us to practice being in that space. Nouwen describes this place: The word patience comes from…