Letter from the Pastor

Have you noticed that the roses in your garden grow gradually, but they blossom suddenly – first a rosebud, and then a full bloom.  Of course, we know in advance that a rose bush will produce roses.  But the thrilling thing about a human life is that you never know what it might produce, once it blossoms out. Some years ago in Italy, there was a young man from a wealthy family.  He had every opportunity to be spoiled and selfish, and lead a life of ease and luxury.  But one day he made a decision and acted upon it.  […]

I read an article recently in a religious newspaper.  It told of a famous Japanese artist who had contacted Christian missionaries to inquire about a ticket to heaven.  He was a very old man who knew that death could not be far away.  He had heard that Jesus had tickets to heaven, and he wanted to purchase one. Some of us would laugh at the old man for wanting to purchase a ticket to heaven.  But none of us would laugh at him for wanting to go to heaven.  We all want to do that, and we can understand that […]

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and we begin the season of Lent.  It is a time for all of us to stop and to reflect and remember   Do you remember those days when you dreamed beautiful dreams?  You were thinking about the wonderful life that was waiting for your over there in the future.  Dreaming is a vital part of living.  Think how impoverished our world would be without dreamers.  Every great human accomplishment is nothing more than a dream come true.  The electric light was once a dream in the mind of Thomas Edison.  The Fifth Symphony was once a […]

Some young people shy away from the Church and following Jesus for fear that life will lose its luster. I’m not sure where that notion comes from. But I do know that it does not derive from the New Testament, at least not from a true understanding of the New Testament. There is enough tragedy in its pages to make it the saddest book in all the world. Yet instead there is a prevailing mood of joy, confidence, and expectation. Jesus was certainly no frowning savior. His first followers were for the most part young people. Even children were attracted […]

Do you remember, from your childhood days, the neighborhood football game when everyone wanted to play quarterback?  Sometimes you’d stand around and argue and take forever getting started.  Usually the way it was resolved was that the one who owned the ball got to call the plays.  But finally, everyone had to agree to play a different position, otherwise you could not even have a game. Then, if you stayed with the sport and gave yourself a little time to grow up, you discovered that it can be just as much fun to throw a good block as it is […]