Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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From birth there was a connection between John the Baptist and Jesus. Mary had gone to be with Elizabeth as soon as she found out that she was pregnant, and she stayed with her for three months of her pregnancy. Elizabeth, who was pregnant, felt her child move in her womb when Mary arrived. Elizabeth proclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb…For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1: 41-44) So we can presume that Jesus and John knew each other throu...
Have you ever had someone highly recommend a movie, restaurant, musical group or vacation spot with such enthusiasm that you spent the money to experience what was so highly praised, and yet when you got there, you were not impressed? You knew your excited friend would be waiting for a review, and you would have to tell the truth. It just didn’t do for you what it did for him. In Matthew 5:8 Jesus directs our attention toward something that everyone really should see. It is so wonderful, that to not see it should rightly be described as d...
God intended to use Abraham's family (seed) to set an example for all people; to lead other people and nations to God, so they can also become His people and bring their worship to Him. Ultimately it would become Jesus, Who would accomplish this. But in the meanwhile there was David, also family, (seed) of Abraham, who became the shepherd King of Israel. He was truly the 'darling of Israel' and "a man after God's own heart". These are wonderful titles and accolades. Yet, even one such as David...
Before Elon Musk made his presence felt in politics I started listening to his biography. One thing that struck me was his willingness to take risks. According to the biographer, Musk has been known to do things such as climb to great heights without so much as a safety helmet when visiting a SpaceX facility, eliminate redundant safety mechanisms on Tesla vehicles in order to eliminate expense, or spend $44 billion to buy a troubled Twitter. The people with whom he has surrounded himself often reflect the same philosophy of life. One night when...
I don’t know, of course, if you have ‘money troubles’. I hope you don’t and hope you won’t. I’m not a financial counselor but Scriptures do have things to say about money trouble. A primary teaching on the subject comes from Jesus’ words in His ‘Sermon on the Mount’, particularly St. Matthew 6:19-34. He tells us not to store up treasures on earth but rather to store them up in Heaven. He also encourages His listeners not to worry but rather to trust God. At least one reason for not storing u...
That first Christmas was not about presents neatly wrapped, huge turkey or ham dinners, singing carols, or watching football games. It was not about baking cookies or shopping for hours. Rather it tells of a poor, young couple who found only a humble stable where the best gift to humankind came to dwell among us. And it is a tale filled with so much hope. In the midst of this fearful time, God showed up in the flesh, in a dirty stable, as a vulnerable baby. God in the flesh---Emmanuel—who came to bring good news to us all, bring sight to the b...
How did he do that? "It's a small world after all." We are all interconnected. "The whole earth is full of His glory." I am amazed. How is it possible that Neil Armstrong spoke on the moon and I heard him and can hear him again if I want to? We are amazed by technology. What should truly amaze us are the things God does. We are about to embark on a New Year. When we think upon God in this New Year, we should be using words like, marvelous, magnificent, mysterious, even magical, for God is truly...
Jesus was born into a world where success was unlikely for His mission of establishing a worldwide, eternal, holy kingdom. The Roman empire began in 27 B.C. when Octavian was declared first citizen by the Senate. He then was called Augustus, which means venerated, and Caesar, a family name which became synonymous with the title emperor. He conquered many lands and managed an imposing empire. Most people liked him because he established a distribution system for grain from Egypt and built aqueducts and the first amphitheater. It was said that...
The buildup and anticipation for Christmas lasts a long time and is exciting for many people. It is a big deal for Christians for obvious reasons. And for those who do not understand the real reason for the holiday it is also a huge day to get ready for and to celebrate. Then comes the day after. I usually feel a little bit of a let down on December 26 and beyond. In a way, Christians should celebrate the incarnation every day of the year. Jesus came to give us life after all. I came across this anonymous little poem that is a good reminder....
A year ago, a friend of our family was in an intensive care unit. She suffered great trauma when a deer came through the windshield of the car in which she was riding, doing a frightening amount of damage to her. I understand she is greatly recovered but some level of sight is not expected to return. Hearing of the trauma was gut wrenching. Hearing of the restoration awakened joy and thanksgiving. The mercy God showed is beautiful. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect place where everything turned out beautifully, and there were no failures,...
This is not what you would expect for a typical celebration. The place was wrong. Who would want to hold a celebration in a barn? At least not in a barn actively being used for its normal purpose; housing livestock. We would certainly not invite only strangers to join us with close friends and family excluded. We would want to have music, but not have the musicians singing and performing miles away from the celebration site. We expect presents for the 'birthday-Boy' but we would want them to be...
Read the book of 1 John for background “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” 1 John 3:1 Are you feeling that you are not quite ready for Christmas yet? That is really okay because I want you to think how we are really Easter people living in an Advent world. We live our days in the truth of the resurrection. We live in a world that remains broken yet where we see miracles abound. This time of year reminds us that God has not let hope die. We also know the wonderful gift we...
The angel’s words about Mary in Matthew 1:21 – “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins,” are a challenge to our instinctive love of personal autonomy. Is it necessary to allow those nice words from the angel to really rearrange our lives? It is, if Jesus is God’s Son who from eternity past has possessed all authority and power. Jesus is God’s own Word made flesh. He is our Creator, the One who sustains us daily. He is infinitely higher than we are, yet we were made to know...
We have examined some of the names used for the coming ‘King of Kings’ and ‘Lord of Lords’. His ‘First Coming’ had been predicted. Many did not understand Isaiah’s prophecy well but most had some concept of it and were eagerly waiting. A least I like to think so. I am not really so sure: As is often the case, when we don’t understand something we impose our ideas on it. That was the case for the Jews, when Jesus was born. When He began His public ministry, He did things that amazed people but also some things they expected, did not happen. The...
Each December, pastors, writers, and pastors who are writers look for a fresh angle on the Christmas story. It is especially a challenge for those like me who have been around for more than a few decades. The incredibly powerful story of the incarnation is so familiar that it is difficult to come up with something that seems to be new. Maybe we shouldn’t worry about it because the story doesn’t need help from mere humans. It is indeed the greatest story ever told. While there is nothing new under the sun, we can still look for fresh ideas. Rece...
Gene editing is showing promise for ending diseases previously regarded as incurable. But there is a difference between exploring gene editing for the purpose of making people well and as a means to make people into whatever they imagine they would like to become in an effort to create utopia. For instance, some have expressed a desire to improve humanity by creating human/animal hybrid creatures. Others wish for gene editing to be used to make humans more fit for space travel (probably with the goal of settling other planets in order to save...
One of the "sweeter" floats in the Williamsburg Christmas parade was from First Methodist Church in Williamsburg....
Isaiah’s prophecy continues having called the future Messiah ‘Wonderful’ he goes on to call Him ‘Counselor’. It is a term we hear used for lawyers, judges, and experts in the Law in courtrooms. Most certainly we will see Jesus, The Christ, fulfilling that role. He was accused of destroying the Law and the Prophets, but responded by saying He did not come to destroy the Law or Prophets but to fulfill them. (See St. Mathew 5:17-20) This He certainly did helping people see and understand the depth of meaning, the spirit, not simply the Letter of T...
“Listen to me, all of you, and understand—there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” (Mark 7:14-15 NRSV) Not everyone who met Jesus was impressed with him. We know that was especially true of the scribes and Pharisees. These men were well educated; they had read and studied the scriptures. They knew the laws. They had strict convictions between correct and incorrect behavior for people who wanted to follow God’s teachings. In fact, they saw it as their privilege and respons...
When I was a kid my mom spent time researching our family history. The Kletzings immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1833. Hannah arrived with five children. Her husband died either just before boarding the ship or at sea. The youngest was a baby, and he’s the one from whom I am descended. We made interesting discoveries. At one time there was a Kletzing College in Iowa. But does a study of our family genealogy change the way I live today? Not that I’m aware. There are, however, some genealogies that matter, such as the one that beg...
It was a challenging time for the Prophet Isaiah. He was required of God to preach judgment upon his people. That is always painful. Of course God is right in bringing judgment to the Divided Israel. They had not obeyed God and not fulfilled God’s requirements for them. On a personal level, Isaiah had served God faithfully under the good kings Uzziah and Jotham. But, King Ahaz has come to power and he was not a good king in spite of having the godly examples of his father and grandfather and the godly advice and warnings from Isaiah. Isaiah t...
Olivia Day portrays Mary in the Journey to Bethlehem at St. Matthew Lutheran Church event....
T’was the night before Thanksgiving and all through the place everyone was thinking about feeding their faces. The turkey was the focus - whether dark meat or white. The wish was that it would turn out just right. The family will be together and hope to get along well. They anticipate how amazing all that food will smell. There would be stuffing and gravy and mashed potatoes too. And though the noodles are not homemade, store-bought will do. Everyone will joke about eating too much. Whether it’s pumpkin pie or apple it is hard not to tou...
Please continue your worship and thanksgiving. No doubt, there are those who are missing some loved ones at this Thanksgiving Season. The thing is they had no idea last year this would happen. Death creeps up on us. We never expect it. I also hear of families who do not enjoy holiday-get-togethers because they involve arguments and often end in unhappiness and unpleasant memories. There is a Scriptural phrase that comes to mind regarding this: "My brethren, this ought not to be." I would echo...
This being a week of Thanksgiving, I’d like to propose that Christians give thanks that God has allowed us to participate in supernatural work He is doing in this world. There is great privilege and honor in being called to do His work. When I was a kid, we had a 1949 John Deere Model A. I was pretty young when I was taught to drive it. That was a great feeling. Being a little, skinny kid, there were things too big for me to lift, and I had to leave that to dad until I grew. But I could drive the tractor. Jesus said in Matthew 5:7, ...
Do you have a special book of the Bible that you turn to when life seems difficult? Each book holds its own special stories, its wonderful images, words we need to hear again and again. Many days I like to sit in the Psalms, reading the words that at first glance might seem like polite and polished poetry, but as we dig deeper, we realize these are prayers of people just like us. There is no “insider” language when coming to the Lord in prayer. In the Psalms we read the utterance of praise, of anger, of lament. Our savior prayed these pra...
In Jesus’ day, food was not as plentiful as what we are used to here in the Cove. Good drinking water wasn’t either. An individual might eat meat once a week. When Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6), His audience could well relate to the idea of hunger and thirst. In the last article we considered the righteousness that God supplies for His people through Jesus’ perfect life, His sacrifice on a cross for the sins of believers, and His resurrection and ascension...
Last time I asked you to ‘Pray for the Persecuted.’ Please continue. This week I want to urge and encourage you to take advantage of Thanksgiving Day. I know for some it will have a difference emphasis. For some it will be ‘Turkey Day.’ They will spend the day focused on food and enjoy a large, traditional meal and probably lots of snacks all day long. For others it may be ‘Football Day’ and they will spend hours in front of the T.V. There really isn’t time in only one day to bring to God...
Now and then I see several things in my life that are opposites. Sometimes I do something embarrassing that is humiliating. I will introduce myself to someone. They informed me that we had already met. The assumption is that I should have remembered their name. Then there are the times I trip going up stairs. Those things can be humiliating. Thankfully there are better moments. At times I do something that leads people to kindly compliment me. I am put on a pedestal, whether deserving or not. In those moments I must decide how to receive the...
In recent months, both of our sons have been infected with whatever illness has gone through the Cove that included fever, congestion and coughing. Included also was lack of appetite. They each were sick for a while, and it was a relief to see them eating again. A body needs calories, minerals, vitamins, fats, fiber, etc. The fourth Beatitude talks about appetite. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). This is referring to what nourishes and strengthens our souls. Jes...
The last two weeks in November have been named (I don't know by whom) "Weeks of Prayer for the Persecuted." Persecution can take many forms: from being spoken to or about in cruel, mean, or unkind ways to being kidnapped, raped or murdered. We may say, "Sticks and stones, can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." It's just not true. Words do hurt, a lot, often for a long time, with serious consequences. Often we presume persecution is focused against Christians. That is true but often...
As scripture stories unfold when we read them, there are many surprises. Jesus seems ready to turn things upside down on a daily basis. He surprises us with his miracles of healing, his constant attention to the marginal, his compassion to all whom he meets. He surprises us with how he challenges the religious leaders of the day who seem to want to trap him constantly. He surprises us a couple times when he seems to speak almost harshly to someone who persists to ask for a miracle. Very often he tells others to keep his work silent. “Don’t tel...
How have you been doing at meekness? Sometimes when we are squeezed, meekness goes out the window. Our doggie is dying of cancer. Presently, he is stable. We knew he had been losing weight. But the situation began to become serious when a couple of months ago he lost the ability to walk for a day. The veterinarian did not believe it was necessary to euthanize him, and that he would regain his strength in a day or so. The week that this occurred was a very busy week, and I was really drained. We couldn’t find a store that had a hind end h...
I am pleased Pastor Joel Kletzing is writing in the Herald. I believe him to be a man of God. Once you have read what he has written, check it out to see if it is true. Then, check out what I have written to see if it is true as well. Through the history of the people of God, both Jewish and Christian, there have been those who did not speak the truth. There were false prophets. Jeremiah particularly had trouble with them. There were also false teachers, Paul, John, and others had trouble with...
Last night I got to attend one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. It was the US Navy jazz band, the Commodores. The event was free, which made it even more enjoyable for me. It was so amazing to hear different generations, genders, and races of Navy personnel come together to play some incredible music. As Edgar Winter said, “Music is very spiritual, it has the power to bring people together”. Hundreds were brought together for the sold-out show. I had a front row seat, which allowed more room for my feet to tap the entire time. My only...
When returning from a mission trip recently, our family was eager to get home. It had been well over twenty-four hours since we set out on the journey. At Dulles there was a lot of waiting in lines for shuttles, immigration, customs and baggage. On our flight were perhaps twenty passengers who were ill, so there was a fleet of wheelchairs waiting at the terminal. While waiting for a shuttle, we kept hearing from behind “Excuse, please!” We would shift and allow skillful airport personnel, many of whom were managing two wheelchairs single han...
On October 6 - 8 Reality Outreach Ministries, Fairborn, Ohio, presented their production of Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames, Lead Pastor Del Smith, Faith Assembly of God Church, Roaring Spring, hosted the presentation to share with the community and surrounding area of how our decisions determine life’s path on earth and afterlife. A lot of time and effort was put into this event which challenged over 30 volunteers to perform on stage as actors, stage management, greeters, ushers, and parking lot attendants. Dwayne Corbin, USA Co-Pr...
Not long ago, there was a story about a whale entangled in fishing nets. It was likely going to cost the whale her life. But, fortunately there were scuba divers who worked together to cut the nets away and allow the whale to go free. There are spiritual entanglements we should be aware of just as dangerous, or more so, than fishing nets. There is a specific story in II Kings 3, with surrounding Scriptures, about just this very thing. The nation of Moab and its king Mesha, were subjugated to...
Mark 9:38-50 Think about the people you have known for a long time or maybe someone you recently met. Would you say that they are salty? Would you call them “salt of the earth people”? When I was a teen-ager I would often joke with my mom that she was the Queen of Cliches. She had a lot of pat statements for situations we faced in our everyday lives. Once in a while she would use the phrase “salt of the earth person” to describe someone we had encountered. I didn’t give it a lot of thought at the time, but I do think of her saying that phra...
Recently I finished listening to a biography of Elon Musk. He emerged from a troubled childhood and became the cofounder of PayPal and the founder of Tesla and SpaceX. If we could poll society as to what constitutes success, I believe Mr. Musk could check nearly all the boxes. He has made lots of money, is regarded as making a real difference in the world, has evident giftedness, has been the partner of numerous celebrated women, is able to spend time with wealthy and important and powerful people, and is able to throw exotic parties in exotic...
I came across a Sunday School lesson I had taught some time ago. I think it has lessons for me and for us. The text is taken from the Book of Lamentations, 3:19-40, written by Jeremiah later in his life. By this time he is an old and broken man. His prophetic words and he himself have been rejected by his people. Israel has been captured, then scattered by the Assyrians. Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, has destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple, the nation of Judah, and carried many away into captivity. Jeremiah has issued his prophecy that this...
Today I resume my series of articles based on quotations on various topics. It occurs to me that these writings stand alone; and most people wouldn’t notice if I was in a series or not. But it’s helpful to me to think in these terms. Recent events in our world got me thinking about the topic of compassion. Wars and storms have taken terrible tolls. I have often felt compassion, but it ended with a feeling. On other occasions my compassion moved me into action. We see several examples in the gospel accounts of Jesus having compassion. Typ...
When I was in middle school or early high school, I remember that, for a time, my two closest friends and I would greet each other by punching each other in the arm really hard. Then we would laugh hard. Why did we do that? I don’t know. Why do boys that age do the things they do? I’m sure it was painful and we probably left some bruises a time or two. Just like combining laughter and pain doesn’t make sense to me, so Matthew 5:4 can sound absurd. It says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” It doesn’t seem right to pu...
I am not sure where this ‘Thought’ will lead but hopefully it will be an encouragement. Several Scriptures and Biblical characters are circulating in my thoughts. Job said, “Though He(God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”(Job 13:15) He also proposed that even after his body was decayed, “I know that in my flesh, I shall see God.”(Job 19:26) David said, “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou(God) art with me.”(Psalm 23:4-5) Abraham was cal...
Mark 7:24-37 Did you ever have childhood aspirations of becoming famous? Of being a note-worthy public figure? I can remember daydreaming of being a singer or dancer when I was a little girl, even though I didn’t have any musical talents. After feeding the five thousand and doing extraordinary acts of healing, Jesus achieved what would be rock-star status in today’s world. He could not travel without being noticed. People everywhere heard about him and made great efforts to find him. I often wonder how he handled all the stresses of being a p...
Change doesn’t come easy for me. My sons have at times enlightened me with new technology. I didn’t think I needed the Apple watch they got me some years ago. I didn’t want to change. What was wrong with my old watch? But now I use it all the time. I tried to sound interested when one of them bought me bone conduction headphones, but deep down I was thinking, “what is wrong with my old listening devices?” At the time it seemed like too much change. Now I use them all the time. I suppose change is possible. There are those who want to bring abo...
I was meditating the other day and a hymn, “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be,” popped into my head. It led to my thought chain bringing up other hymns: “America the Beautiful,” “For the Beauty of the Earth,” “How Great Thou Art” and you can add others, I am sure. Then I got to thinking about all the poets and song-writers and the beauty they wrote about. It brought me to the great Psalm-writer and his words: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim His wonders…” (Psalm...
You may have missed it. Last Sunday is when summer officially ended and autumn began. One thing that some people will miss about summer is being in or on the water. Folks love fishing, swimming, boat rides, cruises, or just sitting and looking at the ocean or a lake. I did not get to any major bodies of water this summer. However, I did see several beautiful waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains. On one hike, my son and I climbed over some slippery rocks to get a closer look at the stunning falls. As we navigated the plunge pool to return to...
If you’re applying for a job, you would be ready to explain what you bring to the table – what skills, what experience, or willingness to learn or character that shows a high level of commitment, etc. Last week when we began to think about the first of the Beatitudes (derived from a Latin word for blessing) which is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3), we noted that being poor in spirit is a basic characteristic of all who follow Jesus because we admit we are not good enough the way we are nat...
Have you ever felt miserable because you were hot, sweaty, dirty and maybe even itchy? It may have been because you have been really busy and worked very hard with garden, yard, or some other kind of work. Well, that may be the physical counterpart of your emotions when you are guilty of something. The Holy Spirit may be convicting you of some wrong (sin) you have committed. You may have said or done something harmful to a friend, neighbor, stranger, or even God. Just as much as you need a...
