Pastors Pen

…worth more than precious jewels 5/13/12   Scripture: Selections from Proverbs 31(MSG Trans.)   Dear Mom, First of all, Happy Mother’s Day!  I know you can hear me, and I know you are well for I know you dwell in the presence of our Lord Jesus.  It has been far too many years since I […]

share the love… May 6, 2018   Scriptures: John 15:9-17, 1 John 5:1-5, 1 Cor. 9:19-23   As I have shared with you in the past, sometimes I read through the scriptures and a single word or a short phrase is what catches my attention…something that to others might seem unimportant, but to me allows

Oh Master let me walk with thee… April 22, 2018 Scriptures: John 10:11-18, 1 John 3:16-24 For starters I want to offer thanks for all who have responded to our roof fundraiser.  It was personally very heartening to see such a broad and diverse level of support for the church which I truly believe reflects

‘…thief in the night…opioid addiction’ April 15, 2018 Scripture: Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to

…and now the work begins April 8, 2018   Scripture: Acts 4:32-35, John 20:19-30 When speaking on this passage from John’s gospel, which tells of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples the evening of the resurrection the focus usually falls on Thomas, or ‘Doubting Thomas’ as he has come to be known.  However, that little story

…beyond belief…beyond hearsay Easter Sunday April 1, 2018   Scriptures: Based loosely but faithfully on John 20:1-18, and Luke 24:13-49 I am not sure it is possible to understand how catastrophic the events of the last several days had been for the believers now scattered across the city of Jerusalem.  Everything seemed to have been

…no easy task, the broken woman March 18, 2018   Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Towards the middle of my last year in seminary I found I still needed a few credits in order to receive my degree at the end of the next semester.  I knew my schedule for the spring semester was full and decided

“For John 3:17 tells us in no uncertain terms that God did not send Jesus in order to condemn the world…but rather…in order that the world might be saved through him. God sent Jesus…to save us from ourselves, from our own worst impulses, from our tendency to divide rather than unify, from our penchant to seek only to save ourselves rather than to do the harder work of loving one another…”

… the love of our God is far, far greater than our ability to discourage or lessen it…and the forgiveness and mercy God extends towards each one of us comes from the very nature of this God of love…and also, and perhaps quite importantly so, the wrathful and condemning images and understandings so many ascribe to our God are a distortion of and rebuke of the true loving essence of this one we worship and seek to follow after.