This coming Sunday, January 8, is the "Baptism of our Lord" Sunday. My question, "Why be baptized?" certainly is a personal, contemporary question. People - like you and me - get baptized for many different reasons. For some it is a family, cultural thing. For others is a "rite of joining" a church thing. In theory it's suppose to be a commitm...
For the earliest Christians, Sunday, the day of the resurrection, was both the first day of the week and the eighth day, a day somehow outside of normal time. The practice of celebrating a church festival for a full eight days goes back to the 6th century. In the past, this eighth day of Christmas commemorated also Jesus' circumcision, his entry in...
It's complicated, as politics often are. Israel fell into civil war after the death of King Solomon, dividing the country into two nations. A couple hundred years later the 'Northern Kingdom' was being attacked by the Assyrians, so they made a defense pact with Syria. Together Syria and the Northern Kingdom wanted to set up a pu...
Welcome to Advent, a season of four Sundays before Christmas. Historically Advent has been considered a time of quiet, prayerful preparation for the coming of our Lord. In reality our 'Black Friday,' 'Giving Tuesday,' 'Grateful Thursday' and on and on doesn't allow this to happen unless we work at it - but we try. This year Pr. Tom and I have ...
Sorry. Cheap ploy. I'm just trying to get you to read this post!! However, please do join us for a time of giving thanks and enjoying a piece of pie Wednesday evening, November 23, beginning at 6 PM. All are welcome!Mostly, though, I would like to thank you for your participation and gracious spirit through our now completed "In Holy...