Our church building has a high ceiling, 40 feet at the peak. That wooden structure is beautiful during the day. When darkness falls and the lights are turned off, it can be frightening. I know every corner in that sanctuary,… Continue reading

The young man told me that he wanted to be sober, that he really loved his family, that he hated the person he became when he was drunk.  And yet, alcohol controls him. He craves it, plans his life around… Continue reading

Did you know that many fruits are picked green so that they can be shipped without as much spoilage? Prior to putting them on display some are artificially ripened. Bananas and tomatoes, for example, are exposed to ethylene gas to… Continue reading

  Twice this past week I was called about marriages that had run into difficulty. Misunderstandings and missed expectations were the garden in which bitterness and brokenness had taken root. People once in love told me that they were ending… Continue reading

A man visited our little church when I was a teen and the song he sang that day has stuck in my head. I can hear his gravely voice singing, “’Til the storm passes over, ‘til the thunder rolls no… Continue reading

“Oh, God.” The words were a sigh of my soul, yet they were a prayer from my heart that looked to Him for strength. Sometimes our deepest prayers are those that are simplest, almost wordless. Ever see two people deeply… Continue reading

“I’ll give you this,” he said to me, “you are a ‘finisher.’”  His words were a compliment, noting my willingness to hang with difficult tasks until I saw them to completion. Others have seen the same trait of determination in… Continue reading

“I’m so done. I can’t do this any longer.”  Have you ever said those words – about a job, about a relationship? Me, too!  Situations come our way that test every bit of resolve in us. The high value on… Continue reading

A few moments ago, while my coffee brewed, I took out a pad of notepaper labeled “To do.”  In about 30 seconds, I made a list of things that need to be done on this ‘day off’ and then I… Continue reading

One of the privileges of my pastoral work is getting to be an ‘advocate’ for others.  Occasionally I am asked to help out with some snarl in government bureaucracy. “Pastor Jerry, could you help me, make a phone call, find… Continue reading