Author: njumcadmin

Scripture:  Mark 11:1-11 Mark Twain, who can always be counted on for a good quip, once said “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”  If that was true in the 19th century when worldwide communication was a lot slower than it is now, then it … [Read more…]

Scripture: John 13:1-17 Those of you with a background in Latin, were once English teachers, or just kind of like etymology then you have already figured out exactly what podophobia is a fear of. If you are still trying to piece it together, I will fill you in.  It is the fear of feet.  Podophobia … [Read more…]

Scripture: James 4:1-10 Professional wrestling often gets a bad rap by non-fans as “fake”.   It is true the winners are pre-determined.  Despite being referred to as sports entertainment, though wrestling is not really a sport.  It is a form of theater.   The outcome and some of the big spots are scripted, but often in between … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Luke 14:7-14 It is not hard to find stories of celebrities and people with some level of fame acting badly.   Honestly, we kind of except it, don’t we?   We expect people with money and recognition to be able to get away with pulling a “Don’t you know who I am?” and then getting the … [Read more…]

After faithfully leading the United Methodist Church in Indiana through some truly unprecedented times over these past few years, Bishop Julius Trimble has announced that he is retiring this year.  Over the years, I have had the opportunity to interact with him a handful of times, and I have learned he has a few favorite … [Read more…]

Scripture:  John 15:1-8 It is not something that naturally comes up in conversations a lot, but I love nature documentaries.  I especially like the BBC ones that are narrated by David Attenborough.  I think I have watched all of the ones available on streaming services multiple times.  Across various nature documentaries there are some common … [Read more…]

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-12 One of the most enduring tropes in cinema, both on the big screen and in television, is the buddy film.  This is a constantly reoccurring dynamic.   It appears in cinematic classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it fueled a whole genre of buddy cop movies like Lethal Weapon in … [Read more…]

Scripture:  Isaiah 40:21-31 I really like history.  In fact, before being called into ministry my plan and my undergraduate degree was to be a history teacher.  My favorite parts of studying history have always been the who, what, and especially why questions.  My least favorite part of studying history are the when questions.  I have … [Read more…]

Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Michel was born in France in 1503, and while he did not come for poverty or have any physical ailments stacked against him, he had hard time finding his footing once he was old enough to leave home.  He wanted a career in academia, but his first year of university was cut … [Read more…]

The calendar is weird this month.   Every year we culturally celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th.    This year, that date happens to fall on a Wednesday.  Also every year the date for Easter is calculated using an unusual formula.  It is the Sunday that comes after the first full moon that is on or after … [Read more…]