At the ACC after-school tutoring program a few weeks ago Pastor David casually mentioned to me that he and Sobeyda were going to be hosting a refugee family from El Salvador. My heart jumped with excitement...what an opportunity for ACC to show the love of God! I also was encouraged by their willingness to share their living space with strangers, knowing they give so much already as a Pastor and Counselor. The next day Carolina and her almost 11 year old son Onandy arrived....
A hymn I really love is "If thou but suffer God to guide thee" by Georg Neumark (1621-1681). I first learned of this hymn in my early 20's, when I was facing personally challenging times. I often sing it during my morning prayers, especially on days when I want to encourage my heart to trust in the Lord. Unfortunately, this hymn is hard to sing. The lyrics (in its English...
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The New Testament teaches that church members need to pray for each other (Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; Jas. 5:16). What are some ways we can pray for our church during this time of coronavirus. Here are 21 ways to consider praying for our church: Pray for the sick, for healing and for patience in affliction. Pray for those who are lonely, that they will find ways to conn...
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On Saturday, May 2, Laura and I got the chance to deliver food to different households from Evangel Food Pantry. We had five households connected with our church, and were assigned five additional households from Evangel. When we arrived at the food pantry to pick up the parcels of food, it was extremely busy, with many volunteers sorting, packing, and distributing to pe...
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We have probably all heard conspiracy theories related to the present global health crisis. Here are a few alleged schemes I have run across: - COVID-19 is caused by 5G technology. - The coronavirus was developed in a lab either by the Chinese Communist Party or by the U.S. Military. - Big Pharma developed COVID-19 and took out patents so they can make billions selling ...
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In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from the English mystic Julian of Norwich (1343-1413). A Benedictine nun, Julian is known for her deep spiritual hunger for God. Julian spent much time praying that God would give her three wounds: "the wound of contrition; the wound of loving compassion; ...
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In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from the writings of Lancelot Andrews (1555-1626), an Anglican bishop who served on the scholarly committee that produced the King James Version of the Bible. In this prayer, Andrews exhibits a deep passion for godliness in both his character and his behav...
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In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from With Christ in the School of Prayer by South African pastor Andrew Murray (1828-1917). This passage, from a chapter titled "The Power of Persevering Prayer," is based on Jesus' parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. In that parable, Jesus tea...
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In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from Prayer and Worship by Quaker philosopher and theologian Douglas V. Steele (1901-1995). In addition to his work as an academic, Steele was heavily involved in the international missions work of his church. He was known for combining quiet contemplation...
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