Posted by jbrudvig |
The end of another school year and the approach of summer raise the question, “What’s your plan?”
For many of us, summer is an opportunity to travel, to reconnect with family and friends, and to renew our weary bodies, minds, and spirits before the season escapes us.
Recently, while reading Ken Blanchard’s book, One Solitary Life, I found myself challenged…
Posted by hlewis |
If you know me, you’re probably not surprised that I am an extreme optimist. I look for the good in people and situations. This can be … ahem … annoying, as I like to “romp through my field of daisies” instead of looking at things in a more realistic light; I leave that up to my auditor husband!
God obviously created us to be different from each other, and I find it so interesting…
Posted by lcooper |
Mother’s Day is a holiday that gives us all kinds of memories and feelings. We think of our childhood and how we celebrated our mother. The images may be filled with homemade necklaces or handmade cards filled with glitter … perhaps flowers from our yard or special family meals. This day may also feel complicated. It can be a holiday that stirs up hard emotions, grief, and conflict. Some of…
Posted by svanbaale |
We are now in the month of May. May is a busy month for everyone. There are proms, graduations, recitals, and Mother’s Day. Those with older children have been doing all of this for years. Others with young children are just starting the journey. Then there are those who are grandparents, who are in their second cycle of the madness of May.
The month of May rushes along at breakneck speed,…
Posted by rgarza |
Do you remember the story of the about the man whose home was flooded and he prayed to God to save him?
First, someone in a rowboat came by and offered to rescue him, but he refused, saying, “God will save me.”
The waters continued to rise, and a motorboat came by and offered to rescue him, but he refused and said, “God will save me.”
Then, as the waters rose, he…
Posted by jbrudvig |
Have you ever had someone say, “Justice is too political, it has no place in church?” Sadly, political pundits and sensationalized reporting have created confusion regarding what the Bible says about justice.
The biblical witness is clear, God is “a God of justice” (Isaiah 30:18). And living in right relationship with God and with one another, proclaim the prophets, impels believers…
Posted by hlewis |
David Hellwege built this beautiful cross for Salem in 2017. It is hand carved to hold 190 taper or tea light candles, and we use it for prayers and memorials on All Saints’ Sunday and Good Friday. I like this description of…
Posted by lcooper |
Holy Week is here, and Easter is almost upon us. Hallelujah! “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed.”
How surprised they must have been on the first Easter Sunday morning when the women found the tomb open. The Resurrection of Jesus changed the world. For followers of Jesus, life would never be the same.
The Resurrection of Christ is God’s way of announcing that if we believe,…
Posted by svanbaale |
This Sunday is Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion and the start of Holy Week. Salem children and youth will enter the sanctuary waving palms to commemorate Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. They will read the Passion of Christ, the story of Jesus prior to his being arrested until his death on the cross. We will hear of his brutal suffering. But before that, we triumphantly shout Hosanna.
Posted by rgarza |
When was the last time you saw a burning bush speak to you? Well, maybe not that dramatic. When was the last time you spent some quiet time in prayer, listening?
The scriptures give us many miraculous ways that God has come and called God’s people. While those Biblical signs of God’s call are amazing, maybe the ways God calls us these days are even more amazing. Maybe it’s not a…