Pastors Pen

The giving of thanks is something you can’t not do…! December 14, 2025 Scripture: Luke 1:47-55, Psalm 50:14-15 Today’s gospel reading from Luke is a very well known passage in the story of our faith. It is known as the ‘Song of Mary’, or the Magnificat, a Latin word meaning ‘magnify’. The passage is a […]

Small little church…not so small a task! November 9, 2025 Scripture: Luke 20:27-38 The Prophet Haggai wrote this letter to the returning exiles in 520 BC. Cyrus the Great of Persia had defeated the forces of Babylon some 18 years earlier and Cyrus had allowed the Hebrews to return to their ancestral homeland. After they

‘A Hebrew National Faith’ (On the need to answer to a higher authority than oneself…) When I first read through the readings for today I was struck by the words of the Prophet Habakkuk…they seemed to shout out the same thoughts and concerns of so many I hear around me…as though they were written for

Finding the courage to be You October 26, 2025 Scriptures: Joel 2:23-32, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14 It is both interesting and revealing that Luke starts his passage with the words, “Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt…”  I say this because

‘In its welfare, you will find your own…’ October 12, 2025 Scripture: Luke 17:11-19 I feel that today’s passage is in some ways related closely to last week’s passage that immediately preceded it in Luke’s gospel, in terms of how it can speak boldly into our present reality. You may recall that we heard the

  From sadness to despairing… from loss to unfamiliarity… to hope-to belief-to communion… Yes, there is hope!   Scriptures: Lamentations 1:1-6, 3:19-26, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 I preached on today’s scripture from Lamentations three years ago in September of 2022. And in reading over what I wrote then and reflecting on what our world

…do we let go enough? August 3, 2025 Scriptures: Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21 We do not know the background of the man’s request for Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him…but it is clear that Jesus did not want to weigh in on either side of that question…so…maybe at

Persist…on purpose! July 27, 2025 Scriptures: Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-19, Luke 11:1-13 At first glance, it seems like there are two parts to today’s reading that are not really related. At first we hear Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer…and then Jesus tells the disciples a story…a story which I believe, actually gives context to,

‘The truth will set you free…sort of’ June 22, 2025   Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-15, Luke 8:26-39 I chose to share from two of today’s readings with you. Because, although they are from completely different times and speak to completely different contexts, there was something in each one that spoke alongside of the other, with each

In all things, both great and small… June 8, 2025 Scriptures: Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-21, John 14:8-17 (25-27) Today is the day set aside in our church calendar to lift up and celebrate Pentecost…that most amazing story found in the account of the Acts of the Apostles when the Holy Spirit descended upon the large