Some things are simply too amazing to ignore. I am currently reading through the Book of Acts during my devotional time. This morning, my focus was on chapter 12, including the story of the Peter’s imprisonment by King Herod. Beginning at verse 6, the story reads, “The night before Herod was going to bring Peter’s case forward, Peter was asleep between two soldiers and bound […]
I know, you are probably thinking, “here comes another blog post where Chuck explains (read ‘confesses’) his inability to find time to write, and fails to update his blog.” Well, the truth is, yes, and no. There was time for me to write and numerous ideas to explore, yet, there was nothing I felt I could (read ‘should’) post. I try embrace the guidance of […]
“People don’t believe the story is true. Many don’t believe that God is real, or that God can make a difference in their lives. Why should they? Do they ever get to see the transforming power of God made manifest? God is not a fairy tale, but people need to see it, to believe it is true.” This is how I began this morning’s sermon. […]
After nearly three weeks, we are beginning to feel settled in our new appointment. Transition between churches and moving to a new community in a new region shake up comfort zones and break most of established routines. These changes can be as simple as whether to call carbonated beverages “pop” or “soda,” or they can be the obstacle of navigating unknown roads to new destinations. […]
It was supposed to be a debilitating spring snowstorm, but for much of the area it was only frosting on the grass and a lot of rain. All expectations focused on broken tree limbs, downed power lines and plenty of ice. Thankfully, the expectations were wrong. What could have been the “April Surprise” was just surprisingly cold. As the news media began reporting the forecast […]
Tomorrow is Pentecost. It is also two weeks since I announced to the congregation I serve that a change in pastoral leadership is coming. As you can imagine, accepting the coming change is a difficult thing. Some people are ready to move forward while others are still trying to adjust to the news. For many this time simply feels like chaos, and questions about the […]
You reap what you sow! It is a biblical truth, and one worth remembering, just not always in a negative way. The context of this quote does speak of mocking God and reminds us to consider that our work will be shown for what it is. This is an important caution, for all of us have times when we are a little “plastic,” trying to […]
Recently, I purchased a set of microfiber cloths. These are the extra-gentle wipes used to clean sensitive surfaces like computer and touch screens. Numerous people kept pointing out that my iPad screen could stand to lose a few fingerprints, so it seemed like a good investment. I wanted to be sure that the ones I purchased had no cleaning products in them, so I checked […]
Last night, a band of dangerous thunderstorms moved through our area and brought with them high winds and tornados. It was a harrowing time for some people and the damage while isolated, was significant. As is typical of these times of natural destruction, the pain and destruction were deemed, “an act of God,” by media and others. It is interesting that God gets the blame […]
Jesus had a way of asking difficult questions. They were not difficult in the way an exam question might be, nor were they challenging in the way a hard trivia question is. Jesus’ questions were rarely looking only for information, rather he was probing for understanding. Jesus did not just ask, “what do you know?” He asked, “how is what you know becoming revelation to […]