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
By Joel A. Hess - I still remember visiting Mary. She was in the memory ward at Samaritas Assisted Living. I always hated going in there. I can’t imagine how her husband felt. Once the heavy doors opened, I would be met by aged men and women crying, staring, and laughing at nothing. It smelled … Continue reading When In Doubt Look At Your Name Tag
By Paul Koch - Today in the church year we turn our attention to the transfiguration of our Lord, to that moment on the mountaintop when Jesus’ appearance was altered and his face and clothes became gleaming white, as white as a lightning flash. But before we get into it, I think it is reasonable … Continue reading Exodus
By Joel A. Hess - I have certainly enjoyed a good laugh or two watching so many preachers of political correctness go down because of their own past crass cultural appropriations. That’s not to say it’s a small thing. It is certainly wrong to make light of the hardships of minorities. I am sure I … Continue reading Culturally appropriating Jesus
By Paul Koch - Well happy St. Valentine’s Day, my friends! Today is a day for matters of the heart. It is a day of flowers and chocolates and romance. Whether we like it or not, love is in the air on Valentine’s Day. I remember Valentine’s Day as a child in Elementary School. It … Continue reading Matters of the Heart
