My Church Notes

The Weight of Many Stones

In Greek mythology, a Titan was born who was given the duty of holding the celestial sphere on his shoulders for all time. That was his punishment as the loser in a war against the Olympians. All the ...

The Iron Mask

In 17th century France, a most unusual arrest was made. Over the course of 34 years, a man known as Eustache Dauger spent the final days of his life in the most tightly guarded French prisons ...

The Keeper of the Light

Before modern automation, lighthouses required keepers to be in residence at all times. Not only were the keepers responsible to ensure the fires continually burned to warn those passing by, they ...

Our AUTUMNAL God

Falling leaves and the remains of last week’s jack-o-lanterns remind us of the season. Thanksgiving is coming, and Christmas can’t be far behind. However, God wants us to be reminded of him, for ...

The Withered Hand of God

All authority on this world comes from God. If we have been blessed with children, we must treat them with respect. If we are elected to a public office, the law must be courted with the utmost of ...

Undefined Christianity

All of us have a past. For some of us, we feel a wellspring of pride, for there is nothing we can recall that is outside the will of God. However, for others of us, we struggle with overcoming a ...

The Unattainable Ring

It is that sparkling gem in the storefront window that draws us in. The lights are bright, and it glitters and flashes, catching our attention. We want that ring. Then we see the price. It is far ...

The Donkey and the Carrot

The classic image of a donkey shows its feet firmly planted in the soil, pulling hard against its lead rope, its strong sense of self-preservation refusing to let it move ...

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

The more God blesses us, the greater the opportunity for worries. We ask him for a better job, and in the blessing, we also receive greater responsibilities. We plead for a larger home for our ...

A Cloud of Witnesses

Funerals are where we pay homage to those we’ve treasured in this life. Funerals are also a way for us to witness the body of the deceased and come to a moment of closure over the ending of ...

Lightning and Thunder

There are few things as terrifying in this world as lightning and thunder. Lightning flashes across the landscape with an intensity intolerable to our eyes, and it does so without warning or care for ...

Our CRISP God

When the north wind shifts the day from steamy to CRISP, we relish the change in the air. We draw in a breath, and the world feels fresh and new. God is just like that. When our days begin to ...

Jesus, Undercover Agent

When a government sends one of its most promising envoys to a distant land, it has to take certain precautions, especially if the foreign government is hostile. To that end, Jesus and his mission ...