October 31, 1517. The eve of All Saint’s Day. An Augustinian monk and university professor named Martin Luther walks to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany, and posts a list of debate points, or theses, on the door. 95 theses, in all, on the use, the merits, of indulgences, and the way…
How about a few words from Martin Luther: “And yet the love of the Son of God for us is of such magnitude that the greater the filth and stench of our sins, the more he befriends us, the more he cleanses us, relieving us of all our misery and of the burden of all…
A couple months ago, at the Praise Service, one of the songs Messenger led us in spoke of making God smile, and later I asked the congregation what might we do to make God smile. Suggestions included obey the 10 Commandments (a very good idea), attend worship (also very good), and comfort others (likewise very…
Pastor’s Corner June 2017 June 4th is Pentecost Sunday, when we remember and celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit onto/into the followers of Jesus, and thus the beginning of the church in mission to the world. We live in the reality of the Holy Spirit at work in the world, and at work…
Pastor’s Corner May 2017 May has some big holidays in it, doesn’t it? You’ve got Mother’s Day on the 14th (and a big Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and grandmoms and great-grandmoms, out there, as well as all the women who provided mothering love in some way to us in our lives).…
How do you greet someone, a friend, for instance? Probably with something like “Hi”, or “How are you doing?” And in reply, you likely get “Hi”, or “I’m doing good. How about you?” We greet each other informally most of the time, ask about health or something, keep things comfortable and familiar. Well, people who…
Pastor’s Corner March 2017 This year Lent begins on March 1st, Ash Wednesday, one of the most solemn days of the year, when we remember our mortality and reflect on the depths of our need for God’s grace, forgiveness, and healing. A somber day that leads us into a season of reflection and prayer.…
Pastor’s Corner February 2017 I suppose for most folks, February is most associated with Valentine’s Day. President’s Day just doesn’t seem like quite as big a deal, does it? And I guess there are a lot worse things we could focus on than love. So let’s talk about love, then. What is love? A…