Pastor's Blog

The Annunciation The holy angel who appeared to Mary told her that the Son she was privileged to bear would be great and would be called the Son of the Most High. And he added, “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:32-33).    Jesus, Son of David That Jesus was descended from David is a point that is frequently emphasized in Scripture and seems to have been widely known, or at least widely suspected by his contemporaries. Some in his day had no hesitation in hailing him as “the Son of David.” Matthew tells us that on one occasion, “two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David’” (Matt. 9:27). Even a Canaanite woman, a Gentile, “came out and was crying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David’” (Matt. 15:22). The crowd that accompanied him during his Triumphal Entry shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who c...

Dear Christian, It's important for you to know (1) who you are, (2) where you came from, (3) where you're going, and (4) why you're here.   The short answer is, you were made 𝘣𝘺 God and 𝘧𝘰𝘳 God (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16). For a more complete answer, read on.   Before the L ord formed you in the womb, he knew you (Jer. 1:5a). He chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined you for adoption (Eph. 1:4-5). He created you in his own image (Gen. 1:27). His hands fashioned and made you (Job 10:8). He formed your inward parts and knitted you together in your mother's womb so that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13).   Like a lost sheep, you have gone astray, turning to your own way (Isa. 53:6). You have sinned against him and have fallen short of his glory (Rom. 3:23). Nevertheless, he has loved you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) and sent his only Son into the...

Sometimes things happen in life that make it seem as if we are the helpless victims of a cold, dark, impersonal, and merciless fate. The inevitable consequence of such a belief is despair, a point made very poignantly in this medieval poem, O Fortuna, set to music in 1936 by Carl Orff. The video below is a powerful performance. I’ve watched it a dozen times at least in the last six months. If you’ve experienced tragedy and loss, you’ve no doubt felt what it describes, a sense of utter helplessness in the face of forces beyond your control. O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable, ever waxing ever waning; hateful life first oppresses and then soothes playing with mental clarity; poverty and power it melts them like ice. Watch it. Listen to it. Ponder the words carefully. (You can find the full lyrics here ). And then remember that it’s all wrong . There is a vast difference between what is and what only seems to be. In all the fluctuations of life, especially when things turn da...

Tomorrow will be three months without Melinda.    I can’t even begin to say how disorienting it has been without her.    That’s the best word for it, I think.   Disorienting .   At least, that’s the word that keeps popping into in my head.   We did everything together, went everywhere together, talked about everything and nothing.   I’ve heard some people say it’s wise for couples to have a “life outside of marriage,” to have some independence and personal space.   I don’t subscribe to that form of wisdom.    Someone much wiser said that the two shall become one.   And so it was for us.   Our lives were thoroughly intertwined, and neither of us would have had it any other way.   Melinda was a constant presence, a true companion and confidant in every way.   Life isn’t right without her.   Not for me, not for our children.   Tonight, our youngest (Olivia) is attending her first formal event as a hi...

You may have heard it said that Melinda lost her battle with cancer.  If so, you heard wrong.  She won the battle, and she did so in glorious fashion.    When it comes to the kingdom of heaven, truth is often paradoxical.   What seems true is often false, and what seems false is often true; what appears wise is foolish, and what seems foolish is the very height of wisdom.  Consider: The last will be first, and the first last (Matt. 20:16) Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matt. 16:25) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matt. 23:12)   What conventional wisdom deems to be true is often false because we are looking at it from the wrong perspective.  Conventional wisdom says that Melinda lost her battle with cancer.  After all, it took her life.  But there is a larger frame of reference to consider.    ...