Reading through the Psalms can present a number of challenges. First, there is the cultural distance between our day and a millennium before the birth of Christ. While human emotions and desires have not changed, many of the references and illustrations in the Psalms don’t naturally resonate with us. Second, is the form of poetry. …
My friend, Peter, works among refugees and asylum seekers in Paris. The City of Light can be a very dark place if you find yourself in need. Despite the public impression, most refugees do not flee their homes by choice. War, famine, economic failure, and government corruption push people to take desperate measures for their …
The movie, Darkest Hour, tells the story of Winston Churchill’s early days as Prime Minister of the UK during World War 2. It seems clear today that Churchill was the right leader for the job but in May 1940 he had little support, especially from his own party. There was great pressure in his war …
2020 was a rough year and 2021 has some challenges ahead. The coronavirus continues to rage, political polarization is dividing people, the economy is fragile, people are tired and frustrated. It’s a bad combination of events. So the beginning of Psalm 46 is one we all need to hear: God is our refuge and strength, …
Abe Donsky from Connecticut is credited with inventing the night light in 1965. Not surprisingly, he was the father of four children. If you have young children at home then one of the must have items in the house is night light. They have been greatly improved over the last 55 years but still serve …
One day, a teacher announced to her class there would be a surprise test. She handed out a sheet of paper face down to each student. The teacher said, “When you turn the paper over, I want you to write about what you see.” When the students turned the paper over there was just a …
One of my concerns, as a pastor, during this time of coronavirus is how people are staying mentally healthy. Even during the best of times, there are plenty of stresses in life but this year has brought extra concerns. There is increased pressure on our work/life balance, more isolation from friends, and now the days …
I remember the first time I met a missionary. I was about six or seven years old and she had returned from four years in Kenya. During the morning service she invited all the children to the front of the church and gave us each a small 45 rpm record. (This was advanced technology at …
There are many pithy sayings about parenting and this one rings true for me, “With children, the days are long but the years are short.”
There are times when we all just need to know there is a safe place to run when we feel the enemy is on the move.
