Have you ever wondered why Jesus hangs around for 40 days after his resurrection? His work is done. He rose from the dead. Why doesn’t he just move on? I have to admit I never really wondered about this until someone mentioned it in a sermon years ago. Ever since then, I think about it every …
From Worship Experiences
Resurrection Fern, a Metaphor for Life
Here on St Simons Island we have a plant that is common in the southeast, but one I never saw in Ohio. The resurrection fern grows on the branches of the live oak trees, looking like a forest in a tree. The plant is an epiphyte, like spanish moss, that grows on another plant but …
Redeeming Work of Love But We Continue the Fight
Tom and I went to the early Easter service at church at 8:15. Most churches on St Simons don’t have a sunrise service because there is a community sunrise service at the pier at 7. That would be cool to attend, but it is also pretty early on a day when we have to work. …
April Fool! He Is Risen!
I’m sure you have noticed that today, Easter, is also April Fool Day. Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Because of the different dates for the full moon, Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. The most common Sunday for Easter …
Drawn: A Magnetic Attraction to God
Yesterday, while I was at church, I had a hard time following the sermon. You may have found yourself in this situation frequently, but I never had a hard time following a sermon when I was preaching. It always makes perfect sense when you are the one saying it! But the sermon I heard yesterday …
Moving Together in God’s Direction
Tom and I stayed up late last Sunday night to watch the Oscars. Actually, Tom stayed up and I went to bed at 11 but he kept me updated until they were over. I’m not sure why I wanted to watch them, but I like to go to the movies. I always make a list …
I See God In You and I Want You to Know
My parents left St. Simons Island and went back to Ohio a week early. A good friend of theirs died and they wanted to attend the funeral. His name was Lyle Hinkle, and he was a pastor in East Ohio Conference for many years. Lyle didn’t have a “distinguished” ministerial career like Billy Graham, another …
Bear Your Cross As You Wait for the Crown
On Sunday Tom and I returned to the Oasis Contemporary Service at Wesley United Methodist Church. The service was a great blessing to me. We sang a couple of familiar worship songs and the sermon was good. But one song, in particular, sticks with me this week. “O Come to the Altar” by Elevation Worship …
Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day
This year Ash Wednesday falls on February 14, a day more commonly celebrated as Valentines Day. I haven’t celebrated Valentines Day since I was in school, but I observe Ash Wednesday every year. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent: a time of repentance and preparation for Easter. Although these two days may, at first, …
Changes in Churches and the Need to Adjust
Tom and I attend Wesley United Methodist Church here on St. Simons Island. It is a large church with 1,000 members, three services, and a wonderful music program. In some ways it reminds us of Linworth United Methodist Church in Columbus. We thought we found church “homes away from home” but then there were changes …