Letter from the Pastor

December 23, 2021

Letter From the Pastor – December 25, 2021

Can you remember as a child the anticipation you felt as Christmas approached? It was such an exciting time of year. For some reason, adults seemed to be a little happier and less fussy than usual. Music filled the air, packages were under the tree, secrets were being whispered from person to person. Sometimes the excitement would build until you would think you were going to burst. Perhaps we have since discarded that kind of anticipation as just a childish fantasy; but I hope not, for it isn’t altogether without scriptural precedent. For example, there is the meeting between Virgin […]

December 17, 2021

Letter From the Pastor – December 19, 2021

Years ago, a man named John Edwin Daniels sought to inscribe his name in history by establishing a world record for long-distance walking. His goal was to hike from the lower tip of Baja, California to the northern end of Maine. The journey required ten months and he completed it on schedule. When he arrived at his destination, newsmen and radio microphones were waiting to record his impressions upon completion of his well-publicized trip. The announcer who conducted the interview asked: “Mr. Daniels, you have walked over 4,000 miles. Tell us, during […]

December 10, 2021

Letter From the Pastor – December 12, 2021

A group of retired residents of an institution diplomatically called “A Home for Senior Citizens” had gathered for an afternoon discussion led by a volunteer from a local university. Each person was asked to quote a favorite poem or to sing a favorite song and then to comment on the verse or song. One frail, little lady both began and ended the session when she lifted her hand and repeated part of a familiar line: “Grow old along with me… the best is yet to be.” No sooner had her voice faded […]

December 3, 2021

Letter From the Pastor – December 5, 2021

In the famous story of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare raised the now famous question, “What is in a name?” And in the next sentence he gave his equally famous answer, “That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” In his poetic language, Shakespeare was saying that names, in and of themselves, have no meaning. And in our western culture that is largely true. Names are simply labels that are applied to people for purposes of identification. They are sometimes chosen by association as when […]

November 24, 2021

Letter From the Pastor – November 28, 2021

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. As we know so well, the word simply means “coming” or “arrived.” We use it in this context to refer to the coming of Jesus into the world. Most of us have celebrated Advent many times and are quite familiar with its meaning. But what many sometimes fail to recognize is that the coming of Jesus is a three-dimensional concept. Our usual habit of thought is to limit it to only one meaning or two at the most. Characteristically, we think of Advent in terms of the Christmas story. This is when we […]