Reflections of a Retired Pastor

  It’s been a year since I started this blog. I  hope it has been as much of a blessing to you as it has been for me since my public speaking is non-existent. My goal has been to reflect on 50 years of ministry by “Looking to the future through the lens of the past.” So, Happy New Year to all of you. 2025 is here. Each of us has the opportunity to reflect on our past and to use it to shape our future.  But don’t rush Christmas. I’ve heard people say that they’re sick of Christmas. Maybe if decorations and carols didn’t start as soon as Halloween was over, they wouldn’t feel that way. We can excuse the unchurched to feel that way, but I find it hard to excuse we who claim to be Christ-followers.The “Twelve  Days of Christmas” is more than an annoying song. The twelve days of Christmas BEGINS on Christmas Day and ENDS on Epiphany, January 6th, signify the arrival of the Magi, who were NOT at the manger. (See  Matthew 2:1-12.) One of my many favorite Bible verses i...

I don’t eat a lot of bread. Partly to curb my carbohydrate consumption and, quite honestly, I don’t want to fill up on bread when there’s so much good stuff on the menu. I have made some exceptions though. Like when my wife cracked open a jar of her homemade apple jelly alongside a warm loaf of homemade bread. Did some serious damage on that one. Or at a restaurant when they bring warm ciabatta bread or those warm rolls with honey butter. Any caution or counting carbs is thrown to the wind. I’ve been thinking about bread as we approach the Nativity. Beth (house) and lehem (bread) so Bethlehem means “House of Bread.”  Bread is mentioned in the Bible 361 times. It symbolized life and sustenance. It had a nourishing purpose as well as a social component as well. Jesus said in John 6:31, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” People socialized by “breaking bread” together. It’s hard to imagine the prominence of bread in...

  What imagery do you picture when you think about the Christmas story? Have you ever thought about the source of that imagery? The Christmas story is so familiar. The narrative of Luke 2 is often read in churches during Advent and in homes before opening Christmas gifts. But most of our imagery is rooted in Christmas cards, Christmas carols, and various Hollywood productions on our televisions.  I recently looked at the biblical text again and noted some things that might challenge some of our imagery. Granted I don’t consider myself to be a Greek scholar, and I acknowledge up front that some of what I include in this blog might not be true, but it is food for thought as we consider “Christmas Musings.” “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel STOOD  before them and the glory of the Lord shone around THEM and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel SAID to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for I...

  When I began my ministry at the Church of Genesis the church logo applied the slogan, “A New Beginning.”  Just five years earlier, a group of people from a former church, meeting for Bible Studies, decided to start a church. They viewed this move as a new beginning. There are many opportunities for new beginnings. A new job, a change in relationships, or moving to a different community are some examples. In a few weeks some people will attempt to have a new beginning with their New Year’s resolutions. Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Church’s New Year’s Day. It’s a day of new beginnings. Jesus said, “I will build my Church…” The Church is an ecclesia, a gathering of people called out from the world. The whole idea of the Church was a new beginning. There seems to be a culture these days that says that in order to embrace progress, things have to be dismantled. We’ve seen it over the past several years in the quest for social justice. Buildings were renamed and histor...

A lot has changed since Bible times. Primarily, planting and harvesting was the way of life. Today, most of us go to Giant Eagle or Walmart. Many young people think food comes from a can instead of the ground.  At this Thanksgiving I encourage each of us to highlight the connection of the harvest to this seasonal celebration. The harvest home signified the bringing home of the harvest at the time of gathering of the crops. Historically, it was accompanied with a feast after the crops were gathered in.  Many congregations sang traditional Thanksgiving songs this past Sunday, probably the only time all year. Some think these aren’t as “singable” as other songs, but that may be a matter of opinión. This song struck me in a fresh way as we sang it at our church on Sunday.   Come, ye thankful people, come,  Raise the song of harvest home; All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God our Maker doth provide For our wants to be supplied; Come to God’s own temp...

  Seemingly overnight the retail establishments have swiftly replaced the Halloween merchandise with Christmas wares, once again bypassing a very important observance. This observance is one that I believe involves volition and purpose. Looking at the scriptures about thanksgiving seem to connect giving thanks with action. Psalm 116:17 says, “I will OFFER to you the SACRIFICE of thanksgiving, and will CALL upon the name of the Lord.”  A pastor colleague used to say that worshipers in the Old Testament ALWAYS brought an offering when they came before the Lord. This involved ACTION. The psalmist likened thanksgiving to a sacrifice. This involved ACTION. And people called out to the Lord — they prayed, and this involved ACTION! About twenty years ago, I enrolled in Spanish classes at Butler County Community College and Slippery Rock University to help me to be able to communicate more effectively on mission trips to Guatemala and Nicaragua. I have to admit, a 50 year-old matricul...