“Tell Them About The Dream!” I saw an article last week about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. I had forgotten a very interesting fact about that history making moment. It almost never happened. While Dr. King was delivering his speech, he was making his way to the conclusion of … [Read more…]
“The Light” You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before … [Read more…]
The Problem With Sheep (From Sara) I do not have a lot of experience with barnyard animals. Sure, I’ve driven by a lot of cows over the years, and even visited a few farms on school field trips. But, for the most part, my experiences with barnyard creatures has been relegated to petting zoos. Live … [Read more…]
I was ahead of my typical “schedule” this week and was working on this article earlier than I usually do. I’m not sure exactly how that happened, but by mid-day Wednesday I was already starting to prepare the weekly update. I was using this space to introduce our upcoming message series. I felt really good … [Read more…]
A Clean Slate The one who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new!’” Revelation 21:5 I LOVE New Years! We hang out in our comfy clothes, we stay up late eating all sorts of unhealthy snacks (the diet begins the next day after all), play games and watch movies we … [Read more…]
“Precious Memories” Christmas, more than nearly any other time of year, is a time for traditions. Families have traditions of when they bake and decorate cookies, when the gifts get put under the tree, where they drive around to look at Christmas lights, who opens the first present, what meals are eaten and even what … [Read more…]
“Something’s Different” Here we are, just one week left until Christmas. I don’t know about you, but this year, it just doesn’t seem like it should be Christmas yet. Maybe it’s because of the strange nature of everything over the past year or so. Maybe it’s because the weather has (mostly) been warmer than in … [Read more…]
I joked this past Sunday that when the Christmas season comes around, I typically find myself feeling not so much like Buddy the Elf, but more like Ebenezer Scrooge. This year, as part of my Scrooginess (I just made that word up), I decided to read Dicken’s classic A Christmas Carol. I’ve seen this book … [Read more…]
“Advent: Bearing the Light” A few years ago, Sara created an Advent devotional guide. This year she is sharing it again on her website (www.saramsnyder.com). I highly encourage you to utilize this resource as we navigate our Advent journey to the manger. Blessings, Chris This Sunday marked the first week of Advent. Like many, our … [Read more…]
This Week in Church This week I am sharing an update on the current status of our congregation’s ministry in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday Nov 18, our Bishop, Robert Farr, shared a message to all United Methodist congregations and clergy in the state of Missouri. In this letter, Bishop Farr recommended … [Read more…]