CREEPY BUT GOOD

(Genesis 1:1-2:4a) “It’s the ants’ world, and we’re just visiting.”  So says Dino Grandoni in The Washington Post. We tend to think of ourselves as the most important of God’s creatures, since Genesis tells us that we are made in the “image” and “likeness” of God (1:26).  So, why would Grandoni say such a thing?  Well,…

WINDCATCHER

(Acts 2:1-21) The structure will be big, as tall as the Eiffel Tower. And wide, stretching the length of some of the world’s largest cruise ships. Built as an enormous metal grid, it will contain 126 wind turbines.  It will float on a platform, anchored to the ocean floor using the same technology employed by…

MEN – AND WOMEN – OF GALILEE

(Acts 1:4-16) Although the first astronauts were all men, crews going into the skies these days often include both men and women.  The Space X Crew 5, which launched to the International Space Station on October 6, 2022, consisted of two men and two women, and one of the women was the commander of flight.…

JESUS: NOT A QUIET QUITTER

(John 14:15-21) Nikki Rude was the manager of The Well Thrift Store here in Fairfield and someone I consider a friend.  I say “was” because her last day was Friday, May 5th.  There were a number of reasons that she left the position after more than 2 years, but among them was the fact that,…

WHOSE TIME IS IT ANYWAY?

(Psalm 31:1-5, 14-16) Knowing the time is critically important in our fast-paced society.  Fortunately, we seldom need to ask, “What time is it?”  The current time is right there in the corner of our laptops, at the top of our tablets or on the face of our smartwatches, accurate to the second, courtesy of the…

WELL-KNOWN CHRISTIANS

(Luke 24:13-35) “Who’s the best-known Christian in the world today?” Not so many years ago, a whole lot of us would have answered, “Billy Graham.”  (At least, those of us who are Protestant.)  But Billy’s gone now, and no single successor has emerged to claim the title. No doubt Roman Catholics would say it’s Pope…

A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT

(1 Peter 1:3-9) Sabith Khan is a professor at a university in Southern California.  But two years ago, he also became a student when he signed up for online Arabic classes offered by an Egyptian company. The class was a one-on-one learning experience, conducted over Zoom.  And early on, Khan told his teacher that he…

THE TOUGHEST COMMANDMENT

(Matthew 28:1-10) Snakes, bugs, and spiders.  Many people have intense fears of these creatures.  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary may have been nervous about snakes, bugs, and spiders when they went to the tomb of Jesus. Even if you’re unfazed by slithering reptiles, creeping insects and crawling arachnids, there’s still plenty to be afraid…