Greet now the swiftly changing year,with joy and penitence sincere,Rejoice! Rejoice! With thanksembrace another year of grace. Greet Now the Swiftly Changing Year.Jaroslav Vajda, LBW181 This morning, I saw a lonely Christmas tree, shorn of lights and ornaments, propped up beside a trash container — a sign, perhaps, that for some people, Christmas is done, … [Read more…]
The headlines will tell you that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. There are floods and fires, famine and war, economic uncertainty and governmental upheaval — so many challenges, so little time. On the other hand, we proclaim a God who is everywhere and at all times creating, restoring, redeeming, and loving. … [Read more…]
“Jeremiah was a prophet. Was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine, and he always had some mighty fine wine.” Often when I think about Jeremiah, this silly little tune runs through my head. Turns out, though, that the hit recording by … [Read more…]
“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.” This beloved hymn, written in the early 19th century by Henry Lyte, has been one of my own personal favorites. There is one particular version, recorded … [Read more…]
May 1, 2025 This past Sunday, nearly 20 folks gathered after worship at 11 am to begin a weekly discussion about the book When Church Stops Working – a Future for Your Congregation beyond More Money, Programs, and Innovation, by Andy Root and Blair Bertrand. One of the initial claims the authors make in the … [Read more…]
…don’t think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God’s fool—that’s the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It’s written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic.The Master sees through the smoke screensof the know-it-alls..” 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (the Message) When … [Read more…]
Lent couldn’t have come at a better time for the church. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of national and world events, Lent offers us an opportunity for deep reflection and discernment. Who are we as followers of Jesus? How might Christ be calling us to set our own faces towards the future and respond faithfully? … [Read more…]
…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called… Ephesians 4:1 I open this annual report to our congregation with a sense of thanksgiving and anticipation. This is the fourth time now that I have been able to share with you thoughts on the year past and the year to come … [Read more…]
New Year’s Day 2025 falls on the Eighth Day of Christmas (in the liturgical calendar), on which the Church also remembers the Name of Jesus. It’s a wonderful reminder that our identity as people of faith begins, is sustained, and ends in our identity as sisters and brothers of Christ and in Jesus, the Christ. … [Read more…]
When I was young, my parents always loaded up the car with luggage and presents, food and drink, kids and dogs for our annual Christmas trip to Cambridge, Nebraska, where my mother’s parents, George and Babe Scott lived. In the earlier years, we spent Christmas on the family farm ten miles or so north of … [Read more…]