Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Blog”
Sometimes it feels like God is as real, and as close, as my breath. Other times, it feels like God is absent. It’s easy to have faith when I feel God’s presence, but what about when I don’t? Reading the Psalms reminds me that I’m not the first (or only) person to feel distant from God. Here’s a sampling of …
The Psalms have an incredible ability to speak the emotions I am feeling. Time and again these ancient words have forged a path for me to express my feelings to God. Psalm 130, one of the Psalms of Ascent (used during pilgrimage festivals as people approached the Temple in Jerusalem), is one that has helped me recently. My family began …
Why don’t Sundays count in Lent? Because Lent isn’t about you. On Sunday, I took a bag of dryer lint to church with me. I know that sounds strange, but I used it in the Children’s Sermon to make a point about lint and Lent. I wanted a lighthearted way to introduce what can sometimes be a heavy topic. Lent can be …
By Beth Demme I like the expression, God helps those who help themselves. I like it because I believe I know how to help myself at least a little. If God helps those who help themselves and I am capable of helping myself, it’s as if I have a way to oblige God to be on my side. The problem is, when I …
Have you ever decided to read the Bible in a year? How did it go? Did you start at Genesis 1:1 and work your way through to Revelation 22:21? Maybe you’ve intended to read through the Bible in a year but never quite made it. How long was it before you fell behind in your plan? I have some theories about why …
Epiphany is more than a sudden inspiration; it’s a season on the church calendar. Epiphany begins with a celebration of the arrival of the Wise Men as described in Matthew 2:1-12. We tend to picture the Wise Men (on top of camels, of course) following the light of the brightest star in the sky straight to Jesus. As with most things in …
I admit it, I have spent way too many hours of my life watching HGTV. I love house hunting shows, but I also love home renovation shows. I especially like it when they set out to renovate and restore an entire house. Of course, the best part of those shows is The Big Reveal. Have you noticed they always take a commercial …
There’s a popular song we hear every Advent called “Mary, Did You Know?” It was first released by a Christian recording artist in 1991. Since then it’s been recorded by a variety of musicians and has appeared on multiple Billboard charts. We don’t really know what Mary knew 2000+ years ago at the first Advent (at least, I don’t), but …
A new church year has begun! Advent is here! Advent means “coming” or “visit” and it’s the season when the church anticipates the birth of Jesus. In other words, this is a season dedicated to waiting. More than that, Advent is a season when we celebrate waiting. Waiting is not something I normally celebrate. When my family goes out to …
Some moments in life leave us speechless. Sometimes wonder, gratitude, disbelief, or grief seem to steal our words. There are times I want to pray, but there are no words. Other times the words come, but I know they are not enough. There are times when I am awe-struck by the beauty of creation or the gift of another day. There are …