Pastor’s Thoughts

This morning I received a text message that a member of my extended family will likely die of cancer within the next few hours. His name is Luke. He is a 45year old husband and father of six. Though I am not as close to him as my sister (she is his sisterinlaw and...

Pastor’s Thoughts

One of the most touching YouTube videos I’ve ever seen is one in which a deaf woman receives new technology to heal her hearing. She hears her husband’s voice for the first time and her own, too and bursts into tears of overwhelming joy. It must have been like...

Pastor’s Thoughts

This weekend our country celebrates “Labor Day.” It is a strange celebration without a lot of ritual except for some we have created like picnics, parades, and barbecuing. The US Department of Labor Defines Labor Day as “a creation of the labor movement and is...

Pastor’s Thoughts

The famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing.” In the Gospel reading this week, Jesus does something harsh and dreadful he watches his own disciples abandon him. What could possibly be loving about that? Well, we...

Pastor’s Thoughts

A priest I know was asked by a doortodoor evangelist, “Do you believe in Jesus?” He answered, “Yes, I do. But if I may ask you,” he continued, “Where do you experience Jesus’ body and blood?” His interlocutor responded somewhat confusedly, “I don’t. I just believe in...