The LINK: 12/23
Grace and peace! I am so grateful for such a joyous and good start as we begin this new season together. From our first worship services to the Installation Service, to the different groups I’ve been privileged to visit, I am so grateful for these first steps together as your pastor as we enter into the next season of ministry at Congo Pres.
The LINK: 11/23
Just as the changing seasons signal a time of transition, Congregational Presbyterian Church is entering a new season. September brought the ending of a longer term ministry and the beginning of a shorter term interim ministry. November brings the ending of an interim ministry and the beginning of a called ministry.
The LINK: 10/23
Well, how exciting and anxious is this. Saying good bye to a pastor who faithfully served through this congregation for 18 years. Receiving a pastor to walk along side you in the interim. Soon welcoming a pastor to minister with you in the coming days.
The Link: 9/23
“So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye”
With those words, the children said goodnight to the partygoers in the Sound of Music. Today I join them in that refrain as I say goodbye to you as your pastor.
The LINK: 8/23
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” My heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Our desires impact our lives, and our strongest desires shape our lives.
The LINK: 7/23
The Bible declares: “God is love” and “God is holy.” So, we look to the Bible to teach us about godly love and holiness. We are to love God and others because God first loved us, and we are to be holy for God is holy.
The LINK: 6/23
This summer we will enjoy a Sermon Series and Bible Reading Plan highlighting People of God in the Old Testament as well as some of the Psalms. It is my hope that we as a congregation will benefit from these Old Testament texts, being guided in our own faith journeys as we learn about these men and women of God.
The LINK: 5/23
These past several months we have tried something new as congregation on Sunday mornings. On the first Sunday of each month, beginning in January, we have offered one Combined Service at 10:00am which has, on those mornings, replaced our regular 9:00am Contemporary Service and 11:00am Traditional Service.
The LINK: 4/23
At the heart of our Christian faith is the story of a man who dies on a cross and on the third day is raised again to life.
The LINK: 3/23
Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Unlike other letters he writes, Paul is not dealing with heresy in the church nor is he writing a tightly woven theological essay. He is writing to people he is proud of, followers of Christ who are doing pretty well.
The LINK: 2/23
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the importance of coming together in Christian community, for it is here that believers find encouragement to follow the teachings of Jesus which call us to “acts of love and good works.”
The LINK: 1/23
“One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountain-side and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2).
With these words, Matthew opens a three-chapter section of his gospel commonly referred to as The Sermon on the Mount. Beginning January 8 and going through the month of May, our Sunday sermon series will explore this teaching of Jesus.
The LINK: 12/22
The angel said to them, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people; for there is born to you this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:10
The Bible teaches that Christ was born, and that he died and suffered on our behalf. As is here declared by the angel, he was born for us.
The LINK: 11/22
November is the month of Thanksgiving, so I thought it appropriate to use this pastor's letter to talk about gratitude. Thomas Merton, one of the great Christian spiritual thinkers of the last century, said: "Gratitude takes nothing for granted. It is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder, and to praise of the goodness of God."
The LINK: 10/22
The Operating Budget of our church is established annually by the Church Board to support the minis-tries of the church. The Board gathers information from its various committees during the fall of each year and establishes a budget which reflects the ministries that we believe God is calling us to in the coming year.
The LINK: 9/22
This fall I look forward to preaching a series on the parables of Jesus which were stories he told using everyday things to illustrate spiritual truth. A farmer and his seeds, a father and his sons, a shephered and his sheep - these were things people knew about from their everyday lives.
The LINK: 8/22
Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” As I read this scripture, I find myself speculating on the experience of its author. What kind of life did he live? Were his days neatly organized around a few tasks that defined his “normal”? Were there interruptions to the ebb and flow of his everyday routine? Did he struggle to establish an ordering of time that gave structure to his world?
The LINK: 7/22
I have enjoyed the opportunity of preaching from the life of Abraham. Spending time in these stories of one man’s walk with God renews my spiritual life. As I have studied and thought about the ways of God as expressed in his relationship with Abraham, I am once again amazed at how true these ancient writings are to everyday Christian living.
The LINK: 6/22
Is it summer already? Spring, as wet and cold as it was, poured over us in a deluge of activities that confirmed a long-awaited hope: something new is springing up! The past few months have been a breath of fresh air and a shining of new light following the stuffy and dark two years of COVID-19. It has been such a blessing to see our church family spring back to life in ways that were impossible six months ago. God is faithful!
The LINK: 5/22
A long time ago, when I was in college, I went to a concert that featured the Steve Miller Band. I still remember one of their song lyrics: “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future.”
“God is the last link of the chain, but He is the first also.”
