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Staff Trax

Expect the Unexpected

We are in one of my favorite seasons in the church year — Epiphany, where we relive the moments when Jesus is revealed to us as the Son of God. In last week’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus reads Isaiah’s prophecy in his home synagogue. He tells them that He is the one anointed to proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recover sight for the blind, and set the oppressed…

The Deep River of Faith

In Luke’s account of the start of Jesus’ teaching and preaching ministry, the tradition of the Hebrew prophets looms large. Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus returns to his hometown (Nazareth), attends worship in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and reads from the scroll of Isaiah proclaiming good news to the poor, liberation for captives, sight for the blind, and freedom for the…

Farewell

With a new beginning, an ending usually comes. The beginning of a new year is the end of the old one.

For me, it is the end of my time at Salem. I have enjoyed my time getting to know you and your church. It's been said that God brings people into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, and while my season with Salem is ending, I know without a doubt that the reason God brought…

Anticipation

We are about a week into 2025. As with every new calendar year, I find myself filled with anticipation. I can’t help but wonder what the year will hold. Will I look back on it next December fondly, fearfully, angrily, or a mixture of all three?

At the beginning of the year, just like in this week’s Gospel reading, we are filled with anticipation and the unknown. We will celebrate the…