Pastor’s Ponderings
Pastors Pondering
We are hoping to begin to provide one worship service experience that will be available both in the sanctuary in person as well as online through YouTube and Facebook. Since March of 2020, Pastor Shannon and I produced, recorded, and uploaded over 67 worship services...
Pastors Pondering
While clearing out some space in my garage a while back, I came across a box of books that included a title I read back in seminary, Moral Man and Immoral Society, by Reinhold Niebuhr. Although this book was written ninety years ago, it seems to speak of something...
Pastors Pondering
One of the most delightful things to watch on television lately has been Ted Lasso. It’s a show on Apple Plus TV so it does require a subscription to watch (ugh), but it is a delightful, positive and enjoyable show about an American Football coach that ends up...
Pastors Pondering
Diana Butler Bass she writes a daily blog called “The Cottage”. On July 8, she wrote about and about some remarkable findings that came out of a study completed by Public Religion Research Institute called The American Religious Landscape in 2020. The study shows that...
Pastors Pondering
For at least for the last six summers, Calvary Church has had one worship service at 10:00 AM for the summer months and then two services for the remainder of the year. With the challenges of returning to in-person worship services during a pandemic, it made sense for...
Pastors Pondering
SELF- CONTROL In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul writes, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control." (5:22) The last of these qualities is SELF-CONTROL. Just like...
Pastors Pondering
In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul writes, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control." (5:22) What is "gentleness?" The Greek word Paul used here is usually rendered either as...
Pastors Pondering
FAITHFULNESS In Galatians 5:22, the Apostle Paul provides a list of personal qualities produced in the life of those who follow Jesus Christ. He calls these the “fruit of the spirt.” When we are connected to God through faith in Jesus Christ, these qualities...
Pastors Pondeing
In Galatians 5:22, the Apostle Paul provides a list of qualities produced in the life of the community of persons who follow Jesus Christ. He calls these the “fruit of the spirt.” When we are connected to God through faith in Jesus Christ, these qualities are evident...
Pastors Pondering
I am briefly pausing my series on the fruit of the spirit here this week in order to talk a bit about “Brave Space.” I was familiar with the idea of “safe space” which is an environment in which people are free to speak and listen without fear of discrimination,...