Is It Courage – Or Strength?

In light of my post yesterday on vaccine mandates, some comments have caused me to reflect. Comments that expressed concern for our situation or praised our courage in following our convictions. It was the latter that gave me pause. I don’t feel courageous, and doubt that I have what it takes to be heroic. ThoseContinueContinue reading “Is It Courage – Or Strength?”

It’s An Ill Wind: Vaccine Mandates

Winter is usually brief in our area, no matter what the calendar says. We get more rain than snow. Most years the cold doesn’t start until December or January and it’s gone by the end of February. This year it blew in with a vengeance, with below average temperatures. And with extra strong winds, thatContinueContinue reading “It’s An Ill Wind: Vaccine Mandates”

These Hard Times: Time to Reset?

At the risk of sounding like a doomsday prophet I’d say that difficult times are upon us and bound to get worse. Financial woes, unstable governments, pandemics, alarming Great Resets, crumbling values. There are also existential threats to health and the environment, according to experts. Indeed, on our summer treks people everyone everywhere spoke ofContinueContinue reading “These Hard Times: Time to Reset?”

Do We Really Even Need the Church?

“What good is the church?” As pastors we have been asked this question, albeit in different forms. Especially since the pandemic and the lockdowns. And people gave many reasons for giving up on the church. A trend that grew during lockdowns. Even now as lockdowns are easing, some people still find in-person meetings unnecessary. ItContinueContinue reading “Do We Really Even Need the Church?”

Ten Upbeat Ways to Beat the Blues

Storms and difficulties of all kinds and sizes come our way. From simple doldrums or times of discouragement, to life’s great storms and even pandemics. And they can really start to get us down. Many of life’s problems are extremely serious, like the events of the past few years, from pandemics to financial crises toContinueContinue reading “Ten Upbeat Ways to Beat the Blues”

2020: an Ebenezer Year to Remember

For several years, I kept two homemade placards on our entry mirror. They read Ebenezer and Jehovah-Jireh. Two powerful words from Scripture, that mean “stone of help” and “Yahweh will provide.” In other words, the Lord has helped us so far – and He will continue to do so. Now as the year 2020 drawsContinueContinue reading “2020: an Ebenezer Year to Remember”