CoffeeBreak With The Word

So, yesterday we marked Labor Day, one of the quieter ‘holidays’ in my calendar, not a big family day, no universal rituals. Originally, the day was one to honor ‘ordinary’ workers in a time when work conditions were often dismal, dangerous, and deadly!  For most of us, the day has become the unofficial end of […]

The eye doc looked at me with a smile and reported that the issue was more common in people ‘of your age.’  It’s a phrase I have heard in one form or another more frequently, as one would expect. I, too, am well aware of my 67 years: diminished physical strength, less stamina, looking carefully […]

Do you have days when you feel completely inadequate?  Do you wonder – “How can I do this? Are there any answers for the way that I feel?”  Well, I admit it.  There are days when I am tempted to retreat to my living room, escape into some mindless television, and try to forget the […]

A young woman described the dysfunctional workplace where she is employed to me. Then she read part of a text her supervisor had sent out to employees that ignored the real issues closing with this – ‘Just believe!’  No wonder the staff turnover is so high. The answer to workplace chaos is not just ‘believing.’ […]

I enjoyed some delicious New Jersey sweet corn last night. A lot of work went into getting that ear of corn to my table – someone prepared the field, someone planted the seed, another cultivated. Rain and sunshine came from God Himself, then there was the one who harvested it. I just ate it with […]

I have purchased several homes in my lifetime. The process is somewhat complex – negotiation, coming to terms, making a contract, signing the documents, getting them approved by proper authorities, and finally delivering them at closing to finish the deal. Only then can the purchaser take possession of the house she selected for purchase some […]

Most people agree that one of the biggest problems with American health is our diet!  A long time ago the issue for humans was finding enough food. In 2022 for most of us it is choosing the right food. A couple of years ago, I had reached a life-time high in my weight and decided […]

Every person of faith comes to a moment when they wonder, “What are You doing, Lord?”  We confess that He is the Lord of all, that the world He’s made is directed by Him. Then evil appears to triumph, a friend’s baby is born with severe disabilities, an accident claims the life of someone we […]

Someone remarked to me recently, “Jerry, I thought you were retired but you are still doing ministry.”  That person did not understand that ‘ministry’ is not the same as a profession. It is the purpose of every Christian. Yes, I have retired from the daily administration of a local church, from preparing weekly messages, planning […]

The pastor took his text from the Gospels, those well-known words of Jesus about the faith of a child, “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15, NIV)  That idea has occupied my mind since then. What does it mean to be a child […]