An Underdog Story?

Scripture:  1 Samuel 17:38-50 I attended Milan Elementary School, so I know the story well.  The year was 1954, this was before Indiana high school sports had divisions based on size.   Milan High School had a total enrollment of 161 and they found themselves playing at Hinkle Fieldhouse against the ten times larger school of … [Read more…]

July 2022 Pastor’s Article

There are several Creeds, statements of belief, that stand out in church tradition and define the collective beliefs common to most branches of Christianity.   Most denominations, like the United Methodist Church, also have statements of doctrinal beliefs and articles of religion that clearly spell out the theological beliefs of the church.  However, I suspect … [Read more…]

Gotcha Day

Scripture:  Romans 8:12-17 Bad news has always been easy to find, but that feels a little more true these days.  In part it is our culture.  Studies have found that American news media tends to have a much stronger bad news bias than other countries have.  It does not matter if your news source is … [Read more…]

Can I Get a Witness

Scripture:  Acts 1:1-11 Summer movie blockbuster season is back in full force this year.  Movies that have been delayed for years due to Covid such as the new Top Gun are finally being released.  Just about every weekend this summer sees a new movie being released that is hoping to be a box office hit.  … [Read more…]

June 2022 Pastor’s Article

Have you ever been going about your day either shopping at a store, eating at a restaurant, or maybe sitting in a waiting room when a particular song plays?  For every person the song is different, but as soon as you hear it, very vivid memories from another time in your life come flooding back.  … [Read more…]

Thy Kingdom Come

Scripture:  Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5 There is wisdom that is passed down in every family.    Every family has traditions, sayings, inside jokes, or proverbs that seems to be unique to that family.   Even if we do not realize it, these family quirks influence us, shape us, and teach us.   I know for me and my siblings … [Read more…]

New Song

Scripture: Revelation 5:1-14 If you have younger kids or grandkids then there is a really good chance that you long ago lost count of how many times you have heard the lyric, “We don’t talk about Bruno-no-no-no.”   Even if you do not have any children around you, there is still a decent chance you have … [Read more…]

Strangely Warmed

Scripture:  Luke 24:13-35 I once was at church district meeting.  It was February, and it came up that my birthday was in a few days.  It turned out that someone else in that group also had a birthday coming up, and we in fact shared a birthdate.  This led someone to comment, “what are the … [Read more…]

May 2022 Pastor’s Article

Last month we had the privilege to confirm five young people and welcome them into church membership.  One of the things emphasized in Confirmation is that being confirmed is not the end of the journey.  It is just one milestone in a long faith walk.   It is the sincere hope that the confirmation process equips … [Read more…]

Making Sense of Nonsense

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12 Ignaz Semmelweis was a doctor who represented the best impulse of physicians:  He wanted to save lives.  His first posting was as an assistant physician in the Vienna Obsterical clinic in 1846 where he helped with the delivery of babies.  Semmelweis though was mortified by the high rate of mortality among mothers, … [Read more…]