We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (Ephesians 2:10) I have received many good gifts in my life. I count all of you as one of the best! You inspire me so much – as you come together in Bible study, in prayer; as you come together to accomplish another effort of culinary art – enjoying fellowship with each other while giving the community another little taste of heaven, as you bring your gifts to......

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The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14b   Life is complicated, and the older I get, the more alarmed I become concerning the state of my country and the world. . . And that is why we read so much of Isaiah this time of year. In Isaiah’s day, the people of Israel wrestled with the same things we do. They wrestled with ambitious leaders whose foreign policy was questionable and who hawked their own ideas of economic and......

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“ Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my Pharisees and to us. Humanity left on its word and believes him who sent me has own is bent on death. You and I are a piece eternal life, and does not come under of work. For as smart and skilled as we are, judgment, but has passed from death to you and I cannot save ourselves. In fact life.” John 5:24   The above Scripture passage is part of a trial scene recorded by John. Jesus has been accused of “healing......

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Our “Summer of Joy” takes us squarely through the season of parades, sidewalk sales and brat fries. This is a season of celebrations. Celebrations are a wonderful way to openly thank God for freedom, safety and prosperity. . . For those who don’t like parades, it’s at least a break from the normal grind, if not healthy for the soul. In times past, if the celebration was grand enough, it would be called a jubilee....

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“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior . . . ” (Titus 3:5b-6) It’s all grace. Everything is a gift. And gifts bring joy! Beginning May 28th, we will embark on a season where we intentionally inject joy into our community. What kind of joy are we aiming for? Real joy. Joy is a permanent sense of wellbeing upheld by God’s grace. It’s permanent, because our sense of wellbeing is not shaken by......

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12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12-13) How would you complete this sentence: Interesting times call for _________________________. . . . a good investment manager? Prayer? Diligence? Creativity? How about a steady hand? A bowl of ice cream wouldn’t hurt! Maybe it requires a bit of everything. What is certain, interesting times cause a lot of soul-searching. Our reading through The Story has caused us to......

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I’m fascinated by all the places in the Bible that leave us to wonder what happened next. How did the formerly demon-possessed man live after Jesus removed his demons and he moved out of the cemetery, and returned to his family and his town? How did Lazarus live once Jesus restored him to life? What was Zacchaeus’s life like after he became a follower of Jesus and, against the advice of his friends and started giving back money to those he’d robbed? What happened to his business? What happened after the woman......

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“Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent . . .” (Paul’s speech delivered at the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch recorded in Acts 13:26) Do you know the story??? I have in our home, a spiral-bound stack of paper. It was published about 25 years ago. On the outside, it’s not very impressive. Simple black and white text announcing what it contains – the story of the Eastwold and Winslow clans – an odd joining of two family lines –......

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Our last words carry weight. You feel it at these moments:• In the words you speak when leaving the house to go to work• When heading off to war• When you’re at the bedside of someone who is near death• When breathing your last breath Beginning Ash Wednesday, we are going to experience the last words Jesus spoke from the cross. They comprise what we often call “The Seven Last Words.” The Seven Last words of Jesus are actually seven statements:I. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.......

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9) Here’s everyday life: Roust the kids; get them to school; go to work; help with supper, dishes, cleaning . . . Every day is filled with rushing, cleaning and maintenance. So what does everyday life have to do with anything? There is an important concept in the Bible that puts everyday life in a whole new......

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Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! (Psalm 66:20) I had a few thoughts about what to title this article. One of the first titles that came to mind was “Ruminating on Despair.” That was pretty dark. But at the same time, its very real . . . but not very upbeat. So I’m going with “The Crazy Rollercoaster in Your Heart.” The heart of our current American culture beats for independence: I want to get what I want, do as I......

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. . so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 3:10 Oh, here it comes . . . “Dad, why do you make us go to church anyway?”Two points:1. Life only makes sense when you’re connected to God.2. Church is true family, and you need family to get through life. I know . . . no family is perfect – and teens are quick to point out the hypocrisy. Still, Church is......

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As I was getting ready for bed, one of my daughters wanted to talk. I indulged her, and she talked without stopping for over 2 hours! A listening ear can be our most valuable possession. My hope is that my daughters know that their Heavenly Father listens to them with even greater interest than I am able to. ...

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They can’t do that! That’s the refrain that is loaded and waiting in our minds just in case family gatherings are limited due to COVID-19 – or a mask order is put into place. The shadow of the pandemic has affected all of us, limiting our closeness to each other and our ability to interact, play games and share meals. These are not small matters. It pushes us to either get ornery or creative.So I invite you to ponder another situation: What if baking with butter, cream, eggs and sugar was against......

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This time in our country is unprecedented. Trying to do life, church, and community during the Covid-19 pandemic is a new challenge. The staff and Church Council of Gloria Dei are determined to help you to navigate the challenges you’re facing. Paul wrote to Timothy when facing challenging times, “for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NRSV). May God’s Spirit inspire us to face these new circumstances with power, love and self-discipline. We are......

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Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 “I don’t even watch the news anymore. I can’t take the negativity.” Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays where we celebrate coming together as a family and as a nation. These last few years – and especially this past year, we did not have that experience. On the contrary, the networks projected images of our elected leaders arguing, name-calling, finger pointing and the like. We also felt the......

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