This is the first Sunday of Advent; it is the beginning of marking the weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. One of the best known aspects of Luke’s birth narrative is that when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem “there was no room for them in the inn.” There also…
My grandfather, Pastor Victor Scalise, always told my dad that people don’t know what a pastor does so you need to educate the congregation about what you’re doing. Here are the highlights of some of the events and work I’ve been involved in from Saturday, September 10th through Saturday the 17th. This is by no…
Everyone here is well aware of what happened ten years ago. The stories and images have filled the media all week and the feelings and thoughts many of us had a decade ago may have come back to some of us in one degree and one form or another in these days. It is something…
For the next two and half months I will be preaching and leading a Wednesday evening Bible study on Leadership in Critical Times. Some people hear the word “leadership” and think of very powerful well-known people like presidents and prime ministers, senators and representatives, CEO’s, and other influential people. The truth is in various contexts…
Hurricane Irene which is arriving today is just one of many examples of how small beginnings can yield amazing results. All the clouds and wind and rain started small a while ago, but grew tremendously and quickly. A hurricane can develop in a matter of days; most things in life don’t grow that quickly or…
Although it seems hard to imagine given the political and economic turmoil around the globe and the many places where hunger, war and violence are part of daily life, if you were to research what was one of the biggest news stories of 2011 in terms of coverage, it was….the royal wedding of Prince William…
Good morning. It is an honor and a real pleasure to be standing in front of you this morning. I realize I have big shoes to fill in preaching behind this pulpit but I trust that God has a word to share with each of you so my prayer before we begin is that your…
After worship last Sunday somebody asked me if I was having a midlife crisis because of my sermons the last few weeks, “Who Am I?” and “What Am I Doing Here?” I laughed and said I was fine – these three sermons were a response to what I have been hearing from other folks about…
I am really pleased that our team working on our Sunday School program that starts in September is putting together a great year that will focus on some of the most important scriptures for our children, and all of us, to know. One of the passages the children will learn about is Deuteronomy 6:4-9. So…