This pandemic season has felt like an exile from normal life and doing what we enjoy. Fortunately there are many Bible passages that speak to what it feels like to be plunged into exile. One of the biggest baddest things during the Old Testament was when the Israelites were conquered and taken into exile in Babylon for about 70 years. So if you’re interested in Bible readings with big connections to the times we’re living in…… [click View Post above to keep reading]

During this pandemic time we think and hear a lot about being contagious. We use words like “aerosolized particles” and “contact tracing” to help us be aware of how the coronavirus spreads. What makes this virus so hard to stop is that people can be contagious for a whole week without even having symptoms—walking around spreading it unaware. Hence, masks and distancing to cut down on the spread. But there’s another kind of spreading we need to remember. We can spread feelings too….. [click “View Post” above to keep reading]

I was so touched and surprised during worship this Sunday that it was hard to say how thankful I was to our sweet church. I appreciated so much the congratulations and gift that you gave for the completion of my doctoral degree. The program took years of different kinds of work, and at times I considered stopping. But even though you didn’t know it, you all helped encourage me to keep going. It was your…… [click on “View Post” below to continue reading]

Matthew 10:26-39 always sounded strange to me, because I always pictured Jesus as sweet and smiling, maybe some kids crawling on him, preaching about God’s love and encouraging more peace. And yet in Matthew 10, Jesus announces, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’” That doesn’t fit with the warm fuzzy image of Jesus we’ve put in our heads. What’s going on?…. [click on View Post above to keep reading]

In one of Jesus’ first healings in the Gospel of Mark, he touches a man with leprosy. Because of the condition, the man would have been considered unclean and un-touchable. He would have likely been isolated and forced to practice “social distancing measures” because of his disease. Not only would he have suffered physically from leprosy, but also emotionally from being alone. This passage reminds us how important and connecting the touch of another person is…. ]click View Post above to continue reading]

It is a temptation that every human has, to think about and talk about “those people.” “Those people” are anybody we want to group together and judge: “Well that’s just what those people are like. You know how those people act. Everything would be fine if it weren’t for those people.” When we hear of something bad that a person(s) has done, our minds are quick to group together and judge all the other people who are in that same group. It can be done for any grouping……. [click on View Post above to continue reading]

“What is our world coming to?” A good friend of mine asked that over the weekend as we talked about recent events. Maybe you’ve asked that yourself lately. It’s a good question. We’ll get back to it in a minute. First let’s talk about what our world is and has been, before we consider what it’s coming to. It’s easy to see tough stories on the news from other towns, other states, or other countries, and then go back to the regular routine of our lives. It is a fortunate privilege to have a regular routine when people elsewhere face daily challenges. So we sometimes hear the news, feel bad, maybe say a prayer, and hope things work out for them. Then we go back to our lives and don’t think about it much. But……. [click on View Post above to continue reading]

Since Germany has done a good job of controlling the spread of the virus and testing its population, their major league soccer came back this weekend. With that as the only option, starting now I’m a lifelong die-hard fan of teams in Munich and Dortmund. There were no fans in attendance, of course, but gosh it was good to watch. As a matter of fact, South Korea has done such an excellent job in their response to the virus that their soccer league started back two weeks ago. As I have followed all the news over the past 2-3 months of the virus’s spread, it’s interesting to see how different places responded to the crisis, and from a spiritual perspective, how people have responded to temptation. Here’s what I mean….. [click on View Post above to keep reading]

In the early 2nd century there was a booklet written as an instruction guide for Christian churches, which were still figuring out how to be church in that early period, when the books of the New Testament were still on the “New Releases” shelf. The booklet was called The Didache: Teachings of the Twelve Apostles. It had helpful suggestions for things like worship, church administration, and daily living. Here are the instructions for how to perform baptisms……. [click View Post to continue reading]

Have you been extra forgetful lately? Felt absent-minded, or had trouble sleeping? That’s normal. Chronic stress can cause problems with concentration, irritability, fatigue, and changes in sleep and appetite. When we feel stressed or under threat, we often unconsciously start to breathe more shallowly in order to flood the blood with oxygen. The change in our breathing doesn’t get our attention, but resulting tightness in the chest and dizziness does. All that stress can take a significant toll on our mental health….. [Click on View Post above to keep reading]

In our area it has been about 5 weeks of social distancing and homeschooling. It’s been hard on every person in different ways. Since no one knows how long it will take for the threat to go away, we don’t know how many more weeks are left. With that stress and uncertainty, it’s very normal for depression to set in. Old habits might come back, or new bad habits might form. So what can we do about it?….. [Click View Post above to keep reading]

Life during the pandemic continues to be tough. And the toughness will last for more weeks. One of the many sad parts of this time is that we cannot gather in person for worship, especially for special holy days like Easter. I will miss seeing Easter Sunday’s bright smiles and bright colors to match the bright sunlight outside. That does make me sad. But there is always this good news….. [Click View Post above to keep reading]

It’s okay to admit it. It’s okay to say it out loud: “I’m really worried. I’m scared.” The craziness of these days is starting to get overwhelming. With so many businesses having to close for now, so many people without work, the difficulty of having kids be home all day, and real concerns about getting sick—it is okay and honest to say, “I’m really worried. I’m scared”…. [Click View Post to continue reading.]

I think we’ve all been through natural disasters in the past that made life strange for a while. Usually, when a hurricane would go through, we’d lose power for a few days, play extra board games, chat with neighbors, and maybe go to someone else’s house who still had power, if only to shower and hang out. When the lights came back on, things went back to normal. But the crisis now is different…. [Click View Post to keep reading]