Posted by rgarza |
We all have busy days, and busy weeks. We have kids going to school, taking care of the house, yard, your financials, car repairs … and the list goes on.
Finding time to set aside for prayer can sometimes be put on the back burner. We often fear the difficult experiences of life such as illness, loss of loved ones, and financial hardships, only to discover that these experiences can bring…
Posted by hlewis |
I am a believer in miracles. Sometimes we pray, hope, and dream for them, but many times they are unexpected … and we miss them if we aren’t paying attention. I try to watch for them, as they are so often in the small details of life.
This Sunday we’ll talk about Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. His disciples did not believe they could make this…
Posted by jbrudvig |
In his book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff … and it’s all small stuff, Richard Carlson writes about the importance of perspective through the responses of two bricklayers.
When asked “What are you doing?” the first laborer complained that he was an underpaid bricklayer forced to earn a living by mindlessly placing bricks on top of one another.
Yet the response was…
Posted by lcooper |
Have you ever found it difficult to forgive someone? Why is it so hard to do sometimes?
If we can forgive, we are letting go of blame and suffering that we are holding inside. This can lead to pain and depression if we are not able to move on.
To not forgive can make you exhausted. You think about it too much. It can…
Posted by svanbaale |
The Old Testament and New Testament readings for this Sunday have something in common. They both talk about seed and the sower. The seed is the word of God, and the sower is whoever spreads the word of God.
According to Wikipedia,…
Posted by rgarza |
Getting things fixed around the house seems to be never ending. Each weekend we’re working on the yard, fixing things around the house just to keep things working properly.
Many of us have sentimental things that we hold onto. Maybe it’s something handed down from your parents or a loved one. Maybe it’s a bracelet or necklace, an item you know you can fix yourself if it breaks, but…
Posted by jbrudvig |
Dear Mission Partners,
The news that Salem must find a new worship space effective Aug. 1 came as a shock to many of us. And while disappointing, the sense of urgency triggered by the impending end of our current building use agreement with Central Seminary has required us to pursue new opportunities and possibilities for ministry and mission moving forward. The active participation of so…
Posted by hlewis |
Confession: Sometimes I run out of time (or ideas) for my Staff Trax and go back to previous years to get inspiration. I’ve been reading through my writings from 2020 and was struck by what I wrote after our 135th anniversary celebration, which was also our last worship service in our old location. During the service we read a litany of thanksgiving, which did talk a little about buildings,…
Posted by lcooper |
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18. The role of a father originated with God, our Heavenly Father, and is both a role and a calling. It is an important one to love and care for children as God loves and cares for us.
Just as we look at God as our protector, we look at our father the same way.…
Posted by svanbaale |
While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for…