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For many people the start of a new year means making resolutions.   About 45% of Americans take part in this tradition, and there is some logic to this practice.   Making a resolution is about setting a goal to strive for.  All goals have to have a starting point, so the beginning of a new year … [Read more…]

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 A topic that musicians and music lovers sometimes debate is the question of can there be a perfect song?   Part of the problem with even discussing the topic, is there is no agreement about what makes a song perfect.  An Esquire magazine article from years ago tried to tackle this topic … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Mark 1:1-8 The early 19th century was the very beginning of the industrial revolution, and one of the early innovations were more advanced weaving looms that were much faster than what traditional artisans could ever do.  This led to some resistance and a semi-organized group took to destroying these new machines of industry.  This … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Mark 13:24-37 This time of the year is one that is absolutely infused with traditions.   Because the holiday season rolls around annually, we tend to have dozens and dozens of things big and small that we build into what we do every year around Christmas.   It seems this time of year has more family … [Read more…]

Thanks in no small part to Hallmark, there are hundreds and hundreds of Christmas movies and specials that exist.  I always find it interesting how these cultural Christmas stories try to avoid the religious connotations of Christmas while still capturing it as something special.   A lot of these Christmas stories like to focus on “Christmas … [Read more…]

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 It is an old story, so it might be one that you have heard before.  It was in the first year of life together for a newly married couple.  One of the dishes that the wife of the couple was best at making was a pot roast recipe, so she made it … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Matthew 25:1-13 There is a general belief that attentions spans are getting shorter.  A survey from earlier this year reported that more than half of adults are concerned that their attention span is not what it used to be.  It is conventional wisdom that our attention span, especially for younger generations, is getting shorter.   … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Revelation 7:9-17 The story goes is that once there was a border patrol agent who had worked his way up through the system, and he got assigned to be the head of a crossing along the U.S./Canadian border.  While not exactly remote, this was a less busy crossing point.  It was the kind of … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Matthew 23:1-12 Charles Houston is not a name that many of us know.  He tends to mostly be remembered in detailed history books that document the civil rights movement or perhaps 20th century legal developments, but Charles Houston is proof that one person can make a profound difference.  He was an African American man … [Read more…]

Like many, I am saddened by the news that we are receiving from the Middle East with renewed conflict between Israel and Palestine.  In times like these, it is tempting to pick a side as right and to vilify the other side.   It is tempting to take the opposite approach as well. We can be … [Read more…]