Weekly Reflection

Thanks to the Bible study lesson I've been preparing this week, I've been thinking a lot about the difference between joy and happiness. We talk about the Christmas season being a season of JOY, but what does that mean? Does it mean we should be spending the next several weeks smili...

In case you aren't aware of it, I am one of the least crafty persons on the face of the earth. It's embarrassing to admit that, but it's true. So when I was faced with helping my granddaughter, Lailah, make a gingerbread house a couple of weeks ago, it sounded like a dauntin...

I watched with great interest the movie "Wonder" over this past weekend. Actually, we went at the suggestion of my 12-year-old grandson, Jalen, who said, "Oh! We're reading that book in school, Mom-mom - let's go see the movie'!" I asked, "Well, what's it about?" "It's about a boy wit...

I was watching TV with my grandson this weekend, and suddenly there appeared a blast from my past - I hadn't thought about this little fellow for YEARS. I said, "Oh NO!! That can't be MR. POTATO HEAD, can it??!!!!" Well, I took a good look at Mr. Potato Head's ...

I bought a nice, soft pullover sweater a few weeks ago. I tried it on at the store and it fit well, I like the color, and I thought I'd get a lot of use out of it this fall and winter. Of course, at the time, we were in the middle of a run of 70-degree-plus weather, so I simply ...

It's a little late, but thank you all so much for your thoughts, prayers, as well as the multitude of cards and notes following the death of my Mom a few weeks ago. I appreciate your kind words of sympathy and the many personal notes reminding me of the greatest truths of our faith: "even...

How do you feel about celebrating Halloween? Have you ever wondered what, if any, bearing the celebration of Halloween has on our Christian faith? The discussion topic for Table Talk at the Pub this week was Halloween: do the origins of Halloween have any impact on its celebration to...

Pastor's State of the Church Report for 2017 As lead pastor of St. John's, it is my great joy and privilege to report that we are continuing steady progress toward our missional mandate of being people with "open arms and serving hands, transforming lives for Christ." We ar...

Waiting is a hard thing to do. I am writing this on Tuesday and the situation may very well have changed by the time you are reading this - and I hope and pray it has! Many of you are aware that last Monday, my Mom suffered a massive stroke. Although she is a "...

We are all saddened and appalled at the tragedy that occurred in Las Vegas this week. I want to share some words of wisdom from our bishop, Peggy Johnson. And I hope we will all continue to pray and to hope. I also pray that this tragedy will be the impetus for us, as a nation, to work re...