Ride on! ride on in majesty! Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry;O Savior meek, pursue Thy road With palms and scattered garments strowed.~ Ride on Ride on in Majesty (stanza 1) Ash Wednesday delivered the invitation: In the name of the Lord and his Church, begin a holy observance of Lent – through honest self-examination,Continue reading “From the Pastor: An Invitation to Holy Week”
Category Archives: Letters from the Pastor
From the Pastor: Organ Donor Needed
A few weeks ago, in my final anxious moments before the formal start of Sunday worship, a beloved member pulled me aside to share a concern pressing hard upon her heart. I asked permission to share her spiritual burden with the congregation, that together we might lift to the Lord of heaven and earth ourContinue reading “From the Pastor: Organ Donor Needed”
Invest Now, Earn 100%
“Use your hands for good hard work, then give generously to others in need.” (Ephesians 4:28) “Who do you suppose it is?” quickly has become the burning question of our congregation. Exactly who is the anonymous member challenging all of us to greater generosity in the sharing of our treasure with the Lord? From nowContinue reading “Invest Now, Earn 100%”
From the Pastor: Looking Good at Age 167
Number Five is the sole Commandment to come with a promise: “If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:3) We must be doing a good job of honoring our givers of life, because indeed things are going well.Continue reading “From the Pastor: Looking Good at Age 167”
From the Pastor: Flexible + Resilient = Blessing
“Mary kept all these things in her heart and pondered about them often.” (Luke 2:19) Words like “interim” and “transitional” best describe how I sense personal life and ministry these days. So I’m glad I last year picked “flexibility” as “my word” to guide moving, living, and being. Overall, I’m eager and excited to experienceContinue reading “From the Pastor: Flexible + Resilient = Blessing”
From the Pastor: Leaving the Nest, and Learning to Fly
Two years have passed since Julie and I sent our oldest child off to college. So last week , when it came time to send No. 2 down the same path, I expected letting go and saying goodbye would be easier this time around. But it wasn’t.
From the Pastor: A Christmas of Sacrifice
December 10, 2020 Members and friends, To stem the spread and ease the burden of COVID-19 on our community, Session voted Tuesday night to extend our suspension of in-person worship through Sunday, Jan. 10. Sadly, that includes the Christmas Eve service. At our meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, the elders and I will re-evaluate ourContinue reading “From the Pastor: A Christmas of Sacrifice”
From the Pastor: Love Often Demands Sacrifice
November 23, 2020 Members and friends, A colleague in ministry well expressed what life is like these days: It feels like we’re living in a soap opera jam-packed with over-the-top plot twists. As if the challenges of the past eight months haven’t been enough, COVID-19 cases again are on the rise, health-care workers are stressed toContinue reading “From the Pastor: Love Often Demands Sacrifice”