Church Blog
“The Importance of Being Gospel People”
In my fifty-one years of attending church, I have seen many differences of opinion, some resulting in a mere exchange of words, some resulting in people leaving churches. Well-meaning Christians have disagreed over almost everything—from church décor or whether it’s wrong to celebrate Halloween to the more serious matters of how church should be governed or what roles the ordinances of baptism and communion play in the believer’s life.
We could all make a list of the many differences leading to disagreements we’ve seen in the church. And, if we’re honest, most of the items on that list would fit into one main category: nonessential…
“My Story, My Truth”
“Don’t sit so close to the TV! You’ll hurt your eyes!” Uttered nearly a million times from my mom from 1973 until about 1994 when I finally left home.
I’m not sure how many feet away from the screen my mom considered “safe” for our vision, but certainly, in the 1980s, I used to sit farther away from my family TV than the few inches I hold my iPhone away from my face in this present age. And I guarantee you I’m looking at my iPhone way more than I ever looked at my TV growing up.
“Friendship: The Greatest of Worldly Goods”
“Choose your friends wisely because they will either make you or break you.” This is the way my high school Sunday school teacher ended every lesson. As I look back over my 51 years of life, her words have proved invaluable. The people I hung out with are the people I became like. Habits, interests, and patterns of speech were shaped by those closest to me, the people I called friends…
Fasting in Anticipation
I confess, I’m a little bit of a YouTube junkie. I don’t know when it all began exactly—probably sometime during the Pandemic. You remember, don’t you? When there wasn’t much else to do.
Restaurants were closed. Shopping for anything but groceries seemed impossible. Searching for that hard-to-find toilet paper, which seemed to turn into gold overnight, was the only adventure we could hope for. Sadder yet, we couldn’t even go to church!
But there was one thing alive and well—the Beloved Internet…
What Do You Expect?
The older I get the more I tend to lower my expectations. No need to get all worked up about something only to have my hopes dashed. Such was the case with my last high tea experience. I’d been dreaming of this new location for at least a year. But, having been to many tea rooms over the years, I’ve been both delighted and disappointed.
So, to keep my expectations in check, I researched all that I could to ensure the best experience possible. My daughter and longtime tea partner also researched. Compiling info from Facebook and Yelp, we had some concerns. The pictures showed meager portions, and the drive would take at least fifty minutes. Would the time and money spent be worth it?…
Why Hope is Better Than Luck
Outside of keeping up with the laundry, I have many things I hope for. Some I’ve seen realized. Some I’m still waiting on. Some seem like a dream forever deferred. But with all of my planning, dreaming, and hoping, it’s in times when all seems lost that I remember where my hope comes from.
While luck is based on chance, hope is based on a person.
While the world searches for an elusive rainbow, looking for a shiny treasure, we worship the Creator of rainbows, the true Treasure, the One who reigns from a throne bathed in majestic ribbons of light.