25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke … Read more

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18) Last week, one of our political leaders perpetuated a rumor that Military Chaplains were banned from praying at Remembrance Day events.  I know a lot of Military Chaplains.  I went to school with several, and our … Read more

3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But … Read more

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.  The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. (1 Samuel 3:1-4) Hallelujah!  Sing to the Lord a new song;  sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. (Psalm 149:1) So. This … Read more

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized, (Mark 10: 38,39) I had one of those ridiculously busy days last week.  It started with needing to write and get things done first thing in the morning, and then progressed from there.  I had … Read more

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, peace be with you, and they were startled and frightened thinking they saw a ghost.  He then said to them, why are you troubled?  And why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet it is I myself, touch me and see a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see, I have. (Luke 24: 36-41) “Here we find the disciples encountering the risen Christ.  The Startling thing is that the risen Christ still carries the wounds … Read more

  “I get by with a little help from my friends” (Paul McCartney) “All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”  Acts 2: 44-46 “Beyond knowing one another, the smaller church acts and feels like “family”.  (From ‘The Indispensable Guide for Smaller Churches” by David R. Ray). I’ve had a week.  A really hard week.  My mom was taken … Read more

“Little ones to Him belong.  They are weak but He is Strong”  (“Jesus Loves Me, by Anna Bartlett Warner”) Then they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”  But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them, and taking it in his … Read more

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” (Matthew 23:27). 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor … Read more

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. (Acts 2: 42-45) “You bit off more than you can chew” (idiom from the 1870s) “When God closes a door, He opens a window” (Rogers and Hammerstein, from ‘the Sound of Music’) “God helps those who help themselves” (Ben Franklin and Algernon Sidney) “Comme on … Read more