By Cindy Koch - All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged. Not always, of course, but at this period. Some ages are lukewarm and complacent, then it is our business to soothe them yet faster asleep. Other ages, of which the present is one, are unbalanced and prone to faction, … Continue reading Extreme Teen Complacency
By Paul Koch - I have occasionally been asked about my preaching style. That is, every now and then someone will wonder why I preach the way I do. How do I choose what to focus on from a given text? Why don’t I use notes when I preach? Why won't I just stay put … Continue reading What About Eternal Life?
By Joel A. Hess - He noted that first came the date of her birth And spoke of the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. - Linda Ellis Sadly, you have probably already heard of this sad poem. Worse, I have heard this read at … Continue reading Dashes into Ashes
By Paul Koch - This week our congregation hosted Vacation Bible School. It was a week of songs, food, and fun as together we shared God’s great story of promise and salvation with the children that gathered here. Now, there are a lot of reasons why a church might choose to hold or not hold … Continue reading God’s Gracious Surprise
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 - Palm Sunday is a day of great motion and transition in the life of the church. It marks the beginning of the greatest week of observance and celebration as we go from our Lord riding triumphantly into Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna!” to being unjustly condemned with shouts of “Crucify him!” … Continue reading Fear Not
By Paul Koch - There is this great Monty Python sketch from the movie The Meaning of Life where the vicar of a church leads the children in prayer. They repeat after him, “O Lord, you are so big. So absolutely huge. Gosh, we’re all really impressed down here, I can tell you…” Now, I … Continue reading His Will and Your Will
