By Paul Koch - It was Sunday afternoon a few years ago, and my kids were hurrying to tie their shoes and comb their hair. We loaded into the van to make it to the movie on time. Like most kids, they love the movies, even the small budget theater we go to for an … Continue reading Searching for a Superhero
By Joel A. Hess - Surely since Plato’s republic—no, further back—since the builders of the tower of Babel, humankind has pursued the building of a perfect place, a perfect order, a perfect city, a utopia. Now, of course, it seems only natural from a young age to seek out a good existence. I recently cleaned … Continue reading Tired of making the world better?
By Cindy Koch - It doesn’t seem to matter enough to the young, the privileged, the hopeful. Society as a whole doesn’t make a big deal out of it much anymore. Grade school instills a healthy childhood annoyance for such conversations. Paramount Pictures and Netflix portrays the world that we are creating for ourselves. Athletic … Continue reading Irrelevant Jesus
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 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
By Paul Koch - The large crowds of Easter morning have died back down in churches all around the world. The occasional pilgrims looking for something new, something to fill that spiritual void in their lives, have returned to whatever they focused on before the church’s great festival of the resurrection. Those who came only … Continue reading Children, Do You have any Fish?
By Paul Koch - I was fortunate to be able to go to church last Sunday. It was one of the few times of the year when I’m on vacation, so I actually get to sit with my family in church on a Sunday morning. Now, going to church with me isn’t exactly an easy … Continue reading Do you Go to a Boring Church?
