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Filling the Void

“He squinted against the sun. Worry is something you create. Why would we create worry? To fill a void. A void of what? Faith” — Mitch Albom, The Stranger in the Lifeboat             There are lots of things that get in the way of our faith.  You and I could laundry list a bucket-full of…

You Plan, God Laughs

Our thanks to Brendan Armitage for writing this week’s devotion. We just don’t know much, do we?  We’ve heard cries of “fake news”.  We’ve been told that the pandemic may be over…or not.  That business may reopen soon…or not.  That the college my son intends to matriculate at this Fall may start him on his…

A Brave New World

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to…

Angels Unawares

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. ~~Hebrews 13:2 (NRSV) I’m not much for the Book of Hebrews.  I’ve never been enamored by the lofty language, the implied superiority of New Testament teaching over the Old Testament foundations for Jesus’ ministry, and the…

Have No Fear

Traditional Sermon Pentecost 9 What are you afraid of?  We’re all afraid of something.  Maybe you have nyctophobia, a fear of darkness  or arachnophobia, a fear of spiders.  Maybe your fear is a little more unusual like Arachibutyrophobia – the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.  I know for a…

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God is Still Good

This week’s devotion is written by Emily, a student at Pepperdine University.  This devotion was offered by one of our church staff members yesterday at our all-staff meeting.  It came to us through an extended family member who is Emily’s teacher. Yesterday was the one-month mark. Almost exactly a month ago I was trapped in…

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“Did You Happen to Find Your Keys?”

There’s a set of keys offered to us in today’s gospel text that we (and the disciples) are challenged to find: the key to knowing peace rather than fear, the key to being able to trust another person, and the key to offering forgiveness. Finding the keys to discipleship is a necessary step in our quest to travel down the road.

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Second Sunday of Easter Preview

“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29)  In spite of all we have heard and all that we have seen, it is often hard to believe. Because it is hard to believe, we will invest ourselves in the Easter…