Which is more important: The resurrection of Jesus or the decisions of our political leaders? Another way to look at it is, Does it matter more to you that Jesus rose from the dead, or that we have an immigration policy in our country with which you agree? These should be very easy to answer,…
Most people in our society have certain beliefs that are simply absorbed without questioning. These beliefs didn’t arise out of thin air; they were written in previous decades or even hundreds of years ago by authors few of us have read. In particular, Jean-Jacques Rousseau has impacted 21st Century American thinking in vital and dangerous…
What is Lent? From Old English word “lengthen” which means “Spring” By 2nd century the word was used to describe a period of individual fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter In the first 3 centuries, only catechumens (those being trained and instructed in the faith) observed this period, which lasted usually 2-3 days.…
The United States was founded in the name of freedom, but do we really understand freedom? Freedom is typically understood as being exempt from external control or restraint. If only it were that simple! In his sermon on January 31st, Pastor Brook Thelander said, “freedom comes through the community of faith.” Rousseau and the other…
My boys love to call each other out by loudly declaring, “lying!” Truth is very important to them, though of course, it often tends to be their version of the “truth” that serves their benefit. From a biological standpoint, this makes perfect sense. Aren’t we supposed to engage in behaviors that benefit us, like getting…
My family has the tradition of breaking out our collection of Christmas DVDs after every Thanksgiving. These range from classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Christmas Story, to more recent “classics” such as The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf and Arthur Christmas. These are lots of fun and…
This is a service of scripture readings and carol singing. The lessons are drawn from the Old Testament with one or two readings from the New Testament. They reinforce the message that the Messiah is coming. The music, as well as the lessons, should reflect Advent and a note of expectation rather than Christmas and…
We are not good at waiting. In 21st Century America, we want all of it, and we want it now. And thanks to smart phones and credit cards, we have come to expect instant gratification more than ever. Some things are worth waiting for, however. The birth of our Savior is one of those things.…
Used with permission. The following was written by Amelia Cleveland-Traylor, Co-Superintendent of the Free Methodist Church River Conference, as part of the River Conference newsletter. There have been a couple of times in my life I have been in extreme darkness. In 1992, my husband and I were a part of tour group that hiked…
We are more isolated today than ever. No, I’m not referring to COVID. We were already isolated before the pandemic. It takes time and effort to resist the isolating trends in our society. Now COVID is likely to solidify habits of isolation. Resisting this trend is especially difficult for those of us who are introverts,…