Joyful Service

Matthew 2:7-11 The first gift that the magi presented to the Christ Child was not gold, frankincense, or myrrh; it was nothing material. Rather, it was their act of worship; they knelt and paid him homage. In Frederick Buechner’s book, Wishful Thinking: A Theological...

Bearing Fruit

Isaiah 11:1-11 Fannie May and Ryburn Stancil were straight-laced and proper even by 1950’s standards. He was pastor of Fieldale Baptist Church and she was his partner in ministry in the truest sense of the word. Although they looked like a boring couple, they had...

The Ordinary Made Extraordinary

Matthew 2: 12 At Christmas time, many ordinary things are made extraordinary. Shepherds are honorable guests, a manager becomes a crib, and the birth of a child is the gift of hope and salvation to the whole world. The Magi were able to see an ordinary night sky and...

Praising

Psalm 98:1-9 This Psalm is one of praise to God in anticipating the coming of the Divine One. Praising…You may have a song that you find yourself humming, or you might have a song that you love to sing along with another one. Take this a step further, and you may hear...

Carrying the Meaning of Christmas into Every Day

Revelation 2:3-4 John, writing from the Isle of Patmos, affirmed the early Christians for their faithfulness during difficult times, but he also cautioned them not to abandon the love they had at first for Christ. It is fairly easy to express our love for the...