This morning I'm thinking about the word "freedom." I believe it is an especially interesting concept set against the backdrop of Memorial Day. Memorial Day encourages us to think about the cost of freedom, the steep price other people were willing to pay to ensure our access to the privileges of living in liberty. Let's …
Continue reading praying that sound minds prevail, yes – and freedom too.
Our congregation is healthy and confident about the future. But many churches find themselves struggling to remain relevant and to keep their doors open.
Christ has set us free for freedom. Therefore, stand firm and don’t submit to the bondage of slavery again. - Galatians 5:1 Sunday morning my "Practical Christianity" class enjoyed a great discussion around the topic of freedom - in the context of Memorial Day. We explored the idea that freedom is something we need to …
today I am posting a few photographs of the blooms beginning to come out in our garden. Flowers for the dead. Beauty for ashes. Hope for a better tomorrow. Poignant reminders of the rhythms of life.
Think about the unequaled prize that liberty is, the impossible to overstate value and uniqueness of the rights we as Americans enjoy, and the incalculable cost of winning and maintaining such priceless freedoms! Every church in this country should be full to overflowing with grateful people!
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10 July 4th is always so great! Fireworks, parades, the celebration of freedom, family, hamburgers, hot-dogs, tater-tots, baked-bean casserole, corn on the cob and big red tomatoes …
Continue reading the celebration is all about God – nothing else
Jesus - "A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." - John 10:10 Typically, when I settle at my desk to post a few morning thoughts, I'm not really sure the direction they're …
Yesterday morning in church Rebekah told, simply, the story of her uncle Pete. Pete was 21 years old when his ship - the Angelina - was blown out of the water in the North Atlantic. He, along with all but a handful of his comrades, did not survive. Pete gave his life in 1942; Rebekah …
Continue reading Memorial Day and the untold stories (100% casualty rate)
he photo is fuzzy and poorly constructed, just a cellphone zoom from behind my guitar in the Praise Band. But it tells an important story about community and faith. Rebekah is baptizing an infant (Violet Elizabeth Vargo). In the tradition of covenant, baptism is a sign both of God's promises to us and our promises …
There's a lot to talk about this morning. First, there's the ongoing conversation vis-a-vis this weekend's post about sexism in Christianity. Then there's the fact that today is Memorial Day. So I'm going to write about Memorial Day and we'll pick up the other conversation possibly tomorrow. "I came so [you] can have real and …
Continue reading honoring the cost of freedom by living like we mean it (more and better life)
Derek Maul: Words, Photographs, and Food for the Journey 