The Patriarch of Peace  In Zechariah’s prophecy over his son John (later to be known as John the Baptist) in Luke 1:68-79, Luke employs a fascinating literary technique called “chiasm.” It is a technique that repeats certain themes in order to emphasize a central theme that is present in the middle of all the surrounding themes. You can see the themes below through the specific words used:  Visite...  Read More

A few weeks ago I had breakfast with Max Smith. As we sat down Max asked, “So how much time do you have?” Now I have not been a pastor all that long, but I have learned that is a question that must be answered very carefully. So I responded, “Why do you ask?” To which he responded, “I want you to come see a little bit of my world.” I then spent the next couple of hours seeing Max’s world. For thos...  Read More

Christ our ShepherdThe Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;  your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the pr...  Read More

Promises of PeaceThis past Sunday we looked at Psalm 85 as a reminder of God’s desire to be our peace. Most scholars believe the historical context of this psalm is the return of God’s people back to their land after 70 years in exile. Part of the reason for this belief is how well the content of this psalm lines up with content in the book of Isaiah that is written for those returning from exile....  Read More

“Do you think Christmas will ever feel the same?”This was the question my husband asked me recently. I knew exactly why he was asking…because it hasn’t been the same for three years…since our granddaughter, Annika, went to heaven. I thought for a minute and replied, “No sweetie, I don’t think it will ever feel the same. How can it? Our lives are not the same and will never be the same. But that do...  Read More

Is the Old Testament really important?  Are the major and minor prophets even worth reading?  What about all the stories throughout the historical books that constantly point to Israel's failure to live up to the standard God had set forth?    The answer to each of those questions should be a resounding… YES.  This semester our students have been studying through the Old Testament and with many of...  Read More