Pastor Matt has been preaching on the Parable of the Sower during the month of August. It has been a good series with plenty of things to think about. I especially liked his final sermon on the series, which talked about the good soil and producing fruit. The Parable of the Sower is a familiar …
From Worship Experiences
Vacation Bible School at Lewis Center UMC
Last week I spent every evening volunteering at Vacation Bible School at Lewis Center United Methodist Church. I spent many hours at Vacation Bible School when I was a pastor, but rarely had a specific job. Because Tom and I are spending an uncharacteristic summer in Ohio, I was able to volunteer to be part …
Char-Mar Ridge Cathedral in Westerville
One of my greatest blessings is taking my morning walk in Char-Mar Ridge Cathedral. I know it is usually called Char-Mar Ridge Park, but there are some mornings it just looks like a cathedral. It is so beautiful and I worship and praise God as I walk. I listen to some Christian music on my …
Goodbye to Pastor Phil at Lewis Center UMC
This last Sunday we said goodbye to Pastor Phil at Lewis Center United Methodist Church. We have been attending the church for about five years now, and Pastor Phil has been the associate pastor at the church during that time. The United Methodist Church appoints pastors where their gifts can best be used. In May …
Pastoral Duties Fill a Weekend
Pastoral duties filled last weekend. On Saturday I presided at the graveside funeral for a long-term family friend in Benton Ridge, Ohio. Sunday I preached two services at Wedgewood United Methodist Church in Akron, Ohio. They were definitely good days where I felt like I was doing what God wanted me to do. But they …
Honeysuckle Lane in Char-Mar Ridge Park
Now that we are back in Ohio, I have resumed my morning walks in Char-Mar Ridge Park. Recently, as I was walking, I smelled an intense fragrance and smiled. The honeysuckle is back in bloom. I may be allergic to most plants, but I love the smell of honeysuckle. I’m still allergic to it, but …
No Sanctuary for Easter
This was the third year Tom and I did not worship in a sanctuary on Easter. This statistic is especially remarkable because of all the Easter services I attended for so many years. During my 21 years at Wedgewood we usually had three services every Easter Sunday. If you add in Holy Week services, I …
Easier Said Than Done – Being Honest in Our Walk
Have you every promised anyone that you would do something and then not followed through on that promise? Found that it was “easier said than done”? Even though I try to be a scrupulously honest person, I have not followed through on things that I have said more times than I can count. It might …
Safer in the Ark than in the Storm
On Sunday, Rev. Jerry Roe at Wesley United Methodist Church preached on Noah’s ark. Noah’s ark is one of those Bible stories that I never really preached about. It starts in Genesis 6 with the story of the Nephilim – half human, half god – and moves into a story about a 600 year old …
Knowing About God or Knowing God
Knowing about God or knowing God is something I have been thinking about a lot so far this year. For my devotional book, I chose to reread an old book from my college days, “The Early Church” by Henry Chadwick. It is part of a series on church history. Tom looked at it and said …