Pastor’s Ponderings

What does it mean to mourn? In a recent article in The Christian Century, Yehiel E. Poupko shares the insight of Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher from the Middle Ages, on what it means to mark the death of another person.  Maimonides argued that every person is...

As I have been preparing messages on the Lord’s Prayer over the last few weeks, I have looked at a variety of ways in which the words in the Gospel are translated into English and how the church has used these words to shape its worship life. How we think about...

Many of us are familiar with Adam Hamilton, the popular author and Senior Pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas. The church is one of the largest congregations in the United Methodist Church. Member of that church are encouraged to be...

On Sunday mornings, I’ve been exploring The Lord’s Prayer through a series of sermons.  Here are a few helpful ways to use this familiar prayer. Think of it as a way to get a cold engine started. Recite the Lord's Prayer to "warm your spirit" so that you can more...

Over the last few weeks, I have been sharing ways in which we can grow in our discipleship. I talked about (1) prayer and worship, (2) serving God through serving others (3) studying the Bible and learning with others and (4) generosity. These have proven time and...

The disciples came to Jesus with a request: Lord, teach us how to pray.  Jesus responded with what we’ve come to know as “The Lord’s Prayer”. I learned the words as a young child, and they’ve been with me ever since. I have used this prayer in my daily private prayer,...

Generosity and Giving Still another pathway that leads to a fuller life in Jesus Christ has to do with how we share the resources we have at our disposal. Jesus spent a great deal of time talking about money. That may seem strange. Sometimes the best way to become a...

Faith often grows as we read the Bible along with others. The Bible is the record of God’s actions and words to humanity over time. It does point to God’s purpose and nature.  It is in the reading and studying the Bible together that we come to know just who God is...

Easter is kind of a big deal. It is at the heart of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul writes, “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain….If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are...

Maundy (Holy) Thursday (April 14) Worship at 7 PM in the sanctuary Good Friday (April 15) from noon to 1 pm. Organ music and reflection/prayer in the sanctuary Easter Sunday (April 17) 9 AM and 11 Am worship in the sanctuary