My wife and I never talked with our daughter about Santa Claus. It was a conscious decision we made, and one we have never regretted. We made the decision because we wanted to focus as much as possible on the birth of Jesus as the real reason we celebrate Christmas. We also wanted her to … [Read more…]
Last time I wrote about one of two questions I believe the Apostle Paul raises in his Letter to the Philippians. “If it takes a village to raise a child, which village does any of us want raising the children we’ve been given to love?” is the critical question. The second question Paul raises is … [Read more…]
In our Tuesday Bible Study we’ve been working our way through Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. I chose the letter because I knew it was written to Paul’s “favorite” congregation; and I knew it would have something to say to u about healthy relationships. In fact, Paul has a great deal to say in Chapters … [Read more…]
Our Youth are selling Christmas Wreaths to support their 2016 Summer Youth Trip. Wreath Sales begin on October 11th. Either Balsam or Frasier Wreaths are available for $20. The Balsam are dark green and very fragrant and the Frasier are known for their dark green top with flashy silver beneath, long lasting needles when kept … [Read more…]
In Adult Education we are using the course In Heaven’s Name, Why on Earth? It’s a course about discipleship and healthy relationships. One of the issues we’ll be discussing is money. We’ll talk about “whose money is it?” We’ll also need to say something about tithing. I have real issues with tithing when it comes … [Read more…]
Wednesday night classes have started for 7th and 8th graders; on October 25 we celebrate the Rite of Confirmation for three of our young people. So again this fall I find myself asking: Who is being confirmed? Who is doing the confirming? What is really being confirmed? Because when I was in confirmation class, the … [Read more…]
We had quite a conversation at the last Parish Planning Council meeting. While we all seemed to be of the same mind about the chapter in The Strategically Small Church that we are reading and discussing together, there were some differences of opinion about another matter we discussed. For this blog the particular issue is not … [Read more…]
On our most recent youth trip we stayed two nights in a lake cabin owned by Jamie’s friend. She and her husband were kind and generous to allow our group to stay there. Even with three beds in each of the bedrooms and three couches in the living room, we were a big enough group that … [Read more…]
I can’t remember if Cady said “the unexpected kindness of strangers” or “the undeserved kindness of strangers,” but either fits. The night she said that we were on a youth trip and were caught on the road during the approach of a tornado; and we pulled into the yard of a man we did not know at … [Read more…]
Is this communication? I suppose on the one hand it is, at least to a certain extent. I write something and people respond–some in writing, others with a verbal comment. The fact that I appreciate the comments is not lost on me. When someone responds to a blog I have posted, it lets me know … [Read more…]