Always Choose Kindness by Theresa Wilson Which people have been the kindest to you in life? I have been very fortunate to have many friends, members of my family and even strangers who have shown kindness to me over the years.  There are nice people but then some who truly show acts of kindness by doing things for others with a cheerful…

New Year’s Resolutions… God’s Way by Brian Wuerch I don’t do new year’s resolutions.  Too much pressure!  I know myself well enough to know that I won’t stick with them.  I do much better with long term goals.  Goals that can be broken down into little pieces and slowly, but surely be realized. It’s not cynicism, as suggested by one of my…

The Power of Prayer by Bill Jourdan Since I first was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year, you may say that I was blown out of the saddle. It was a shocker, and Sue and I were beyond belief. This could not be happening to us! After the initial kick to the inner gut. I felt that I had very few…

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…

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.  …

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…

“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…

The Christmas season is a wonderful time to be a believer— people are in a giving spirit, and a church, because of its founder, Jesus Christ, encourages its members to be especially devoted to serving the least of these, reaching out to the lonely and those more often forgotten.  There is a state hospital in Richmond, and the church I served  had a Sunday…