It is the word strategy that has stayed with me since the sermon last Sunday. I have always loved strategic planning—bringing people together, discovering and defining vision and mission, asking the big why, and then thoughtfully mapping out the steps (the strategies) to get there. In the public and community-based organizations I have been involved… Read More »
Fixing Our Gaze: Beginning the year with prayer and fasting.
Fixing Our Gaze: Beginning the Year with Prayer and Fasting Where We Place Our Attention The start of a new year invites reflection. We think about goals, habits, and the direction we hope our lives will take. Yet beneath all of that lies a simpler, deeper question: Where is our attention going? Scripture reminds us… Read More »
Finding Connection in Seasons of Loneliness
Finding Connection in Seasons of Loneliness One in five Americans feels lonely. And that’s just those who will admit it to a study. Yet the heart of the Christmas story, and even our entire theology as Christ-followers, is not about self-sufficiency. It’s about belonging. Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem reminds us that God meets… Read More »
Be Genuine This Christmas
Be Genuine This Christmas A Suspicious World We live in a suspicious world. Some of that suspicion is earned. Spam calls, online scams, and ads about things that are just way too good to be true have trained us to keep our guard up. Jesus even tells his followers to be “wise as serpents and… Read More »
Trusting God in a Season of Uncertainty
Trusting God in a Season of Uncertainty When Worry Feels Real When we talk about trusting God, many of us imagine a calm, settled confidence. That we would be untouched by fear or worry. But real life rarely feels that steady. In fact, trust often grows in the same soil where uncertainty lives. I learned… Read More »
Finding God in the Grief of the Holidays
Holding Grief and Hope at Christmas The holiday season arrives with lights, music, and constant reminders that this is “the most wonderful time of the year.” For many, it is joyful. But for others, Christmas carries both beauty and heaviness. Grief often resurfaces during the holidays—sometimes quietly, sometimes not so subtly. We miss people who… Read More »
A Certain Point of View
by Carol Pitts: July 2025 This summer our church has been spending time in the Old Testament, focusing on the minor prophets. They are a treasure trove of God’s mercy, love and justice, but I keep wondering how and why so many nations seemed to miss the memos! On Sunday, July 13, 2025 Pastor Ben… Read More »
He’s Here
He’s Here Pentecost Sunday (June 8 this year) marks the moment in the church calendar when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles (Acts 2). For me, it’s always a powerful, personal reminder of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my own life. One bitterly cold, snowy day in late January many… Read More »
Star Wars, Story time, and Character Formation
Star Wars, Story time, and Character Formation When I was a kid, my grandma had a series of books called “Help Me Be Good.” They were full of 1970s cartoon art, and had titles like, Let’s Talk About Lying and Let’s Talk About Being A Bad Sport. I think my grandma meant well in having… Read More »
Steadfastness and Faith
Steadfastness and Faith As is often the case, Pastor Ben’s sermon makes me think of a song, and when he spoke about worry this past Sunday, I thought of the hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” This was probably reinforced by the pictures he shared during the sermon. Under each of the eight different… Read More »
