By Tim Winterstein - Any piece of art can age in essentially two ways. Whether it's a book or a movie, a sculpture or a painting, its impact on the reader or viewer can be significant or shocking at first, but age blunts the impact. What was important when it was first produced can be … Continue reading All You Need Is Love
By Paul Koch – John Calvin, the least entertaining of the Reformers, famously said, “From this we may gather that man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols. Man’s mind, full as it is of pride and boldness, dares to imagine a god according to its own capacity; as it sluggishly plods, … Continue reading A Lonely Heresy Factory
By Joel A. Hess - Everybody loves “forgiveness!” Who would disagree with the importance and blessing of forgiveness? Sure, Christianity emphasizes it probably more than any other religion or philosophy, but it would be foolish to conclude it enjoys a monopoly on mercy. As I was preparing for last week’s sermon, I thought I would … Continue reading Forgiving is for Giving
By Cindy Koch - Today was the day she decided to live exposed. Years of passive acceptances. Years of dealing with whatever they piled on her. Years of smiles and nods slowly suffocating the fighting spirit left inside. But from now on it would be different. Summoning all her courage to make a stand. Breaking … Continue reading Ba Ba Black Sheep
By Paul Koch - As I read through the Gospel reading from John chapter 10 and began to study it, I was excited to begin crafting this sermon. After all, this is a powerful text. It seems simple from a cursory glance, but it packs quite a punch. It is a small exchange between Jesus … Continue reading My Shepherd
By Tim Winterstein - [CONTAINS SPOILERS] Every year, there are certain themes that stand out from the films I watch at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Some of that is intentional, especially with short film blocks, but the confluence of themes in the films that are submitted seems more organic. A couple of years ago, … Continue reading Living Together
By Joel A. Hess - An old man and his granddaughter were marveling at the stained glass windows that decorated their old church a couple of kilometers north of Wissauke. Many of the windows displayed a particular saint like John, Peter, or Paul. Unfortunately, grandpa noticed some cracks in the windows. As he mourned for … Continue reading Cracked Saints Shine Brighter
