Congregational leaders are currently wrestling with a question that no one alive has ever had to face: When the pandemic is finally behind us, will church attenders come back to church?  There are good reasons for believing that the New Normal will not look exactly like the Old Normal. Long before America was driven indoors by social distancing, mask-wearing, and Zoom meetings,…

The Greatest Spectacle in Life I LOVE THE MONTH OF MAY!  Growing up in Indianapolis I looked forward each year to the Indianapolis 500 and all of the festivities surrounding the event.  One of my high school teachers, Mr. John Mackenzie, was an avid race fan and the “official keeper” of the Borg Warner Trophy.  We were fortunate enough to have the…

The Time Is Now! Question:  What could be accomplished for the glory of Christ at FPC if EVERY person in our congregation were fully engaged?  What if we suddenly all moved from the comfort of the Sunday morning pew (or our home recliner) to a state of active participation in God’s call.  It’s time.  Don’t hesitate any longer.  No more excuses.  When…

The Cross, the Hat and the Rabbit by Jeff Nickloy       Like other holidays, Easter has its own set of symbols which lend context to Christian perceptions of this holiday.   The cross, the Easter bonnet and the Easter Bunny lead the list for me.  But, I never thought much about them until recently. It turns out that the national sabbatical created by…

The Cat’s Tale             There was a cat that came to live with us shortly after my wife and I were married.  I knew Sandra was a cat-lover, so it wasn’t a total shock when I got a call from the local shelter informing me that a cat I knew nothing about was ready to be picked up.  We named him Bilbo…

The following blog post written by a member of the FPC congregation does not necessarily reflect the views of First Presbyterian Church Noblesville It’s a Matter of the Heart – What I’ve Been Learning About Racism Part 2 by Anne Kenley If you haven’t read Part 1, you may want to read it here before  before reading part 2: In my previous…

The following blog post written by a member of the FPC congregation does not necessarily reflect the views of First Presbyterian Church Noblesville It’s a Matter of the Heart – What I’ve Been Learning About Racism,  Part 1 by Anne Kenley I’ve been thinking a lot about race and racism and the things I’ve been reading and learning in the weeks since…

What do you think Jesus might say to us when it comes to the racial divide in America today? One thing is for sure; WE NEED TO READ WITH PERCEPTION WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US! Christians should begin discussions of race relationships humbly.  The opening chapters of the Bible tell about how God created the world as a good and beautiful place.  …

I cannot keep silent anymore. In the mid-sixties, I was walking on a sidewalk late at night in a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi.  It was my very first experience of the deep south and I was enjoying the sights of a new town when I saw a Negro man walking towards me.  (Today’s politically correct terms of African American or Black did…

The season of‘ “Lent“ in the church year is so named, because it comes at the time of year when the sun  light begins to lengthen.  It marks 40 days before Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Christ.   As a teenager I heard many say “What are you going to “give up” for Lent?”  the Catholics at least in Milwaukee where we lived…

As a little child of four, I was given a shiny new quarter from my father and mother to do a most important ritual known to me.  With George Washington’s head on one side and the nation’s eagle on the other, I held that quarter tight in my hand from home to church for fear that I would misplace it before the…

Saturday, July 20 Here We Go!  Twenty-Six excited, nervous, bright, ready to serve young and younger men and women left the FPC parking lot about 8:15pm Saturday evening for our 18 hour bus ride to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. We were surrounded by friends and family who, along with so many members of our congregation, have supported us over…

“Did Jesus really rise from the dead?” some ask.  I’ve heard skeptics question the resurrection since my college years.  Why I believe in Christ’s resurrection: If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, evil would have won.  Paul wrote ‘I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received:  that Christ died for our sins in accordance to the scriptures, and…

When I agreed to attend the Great Banquet in 2015, I came expecting very little impact on me.  I expected no change in me.  This was NOT because I felt my relationship with God was just right or that I was perfect.  On the contrary, I was fully aware of the heavy baggage I had been carrying for many years.   I had…

With a Song in Our Hearts by Jeff Nickloy Recently we heard a solo on Sunday set to the music of Leonard Cohen’s famous song Hallelujah.  It seemed somehow profound that such a beautiful song, written by a Jew, could be adopted by Christians and rendered into a version that celebrated the birth of a baby they recognize as Lord.   At points…