BLOG––Encouraged by Faith

For the sake of appearances, I might say that the troubles and hardships of life don’t really matter. You might have heard me say, “this too shall pass” or that our true rest and refuge isn’t to be found in this life, anyway. Those may be true statements in a certain...

You would expect this time to be filled with holiday joy. Christmas has been a time of celebration for centuries and we remember those times with joy. This year may be a little different for many of us. We lived for the past year with a looming threat of pandemic doom. Fear was more or less a...

The daily news weighs heavy on us all. Not only have school shootings become common, but racism is rampant and frequently excused. Whether it is a pick-up truck slowing down in a quiet neighborhood or the police brandishing their badges and personal assumptions, we have chosen hatred and...

Our lives may look and feel different than they did a few months ago. Some of us may be dealing with the extra stress due to family logistics, elder care or economic distress. We may be worried about how to deliver a crucial presentation via zoom with the entire family now at home, or whether...

Earlier this year, I facilitated a conversation class on Sunday mornings entitled ”Seasoned with Salt,” in which we discussed both foundational and transformational teachings of our faith. We talked about things like the significance of the Trinity, and this triune God being mutually...

When we pray to God for guidance, we should not be surprised when he answers that prayer.  In other words, we should look expectantly for his guidance.  In addition to the general guidance given in his word, we might do well to expect that he would speak to us through our...

"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,  My God, my rock in whom I take refuge,  My shield, and the horn of my salvation,  My stronghold.  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,  I am saved from my...

"How deserted lies the city once so full of people! " - Lamentations 1:1 To me, quarantine has felt very alienating, strange, boring, isolating, monotonous… Has it felt that way to you? I keep thinking about the fact that I both do and do not have the disease: as a young person, I have...

Although we are sometimes overwhelmed by our own sense of emptiness, we have access to the power of him who overwhelmed death, emptying the grave. Resurrection Sunday has come and gone again, but I still celebrate Easter. This rising is a glorious symbol of victory over worldly powers that...

Even with plenty of food in my pantry and no pressing physical needs worrying me, the past couple of weeks have been difficult for me emotionally. I suspect that it is the same for many of you. Do you feel like quitting sometimes? It takes an entire lifetime to be formed into Christ’s...