Intersections

    Introduction      Most of you know that my background has been in the legal field. I earned my bachelor’s degree in public affairs from IPFW, including political science, philosophy, and public policy classes. One of my classes was specifically in law & philosophy. At the time, I thought I was a hot shot, wanting to discuss what my books and classes were discussing. But now - not only can I not remember it, but I’ve also learned over the years… no one cares. This is unfortunate because we have so many laws; we should figure out why they exist. Right?        The Purpose of Laws      So - in my opinion, laws are made - whether they’re religious, natural, or legislated laws - really, what we’re doing here is regulating relationships, how things relate to one another. For example, a law on the books says it’s illegal to fish with your bare hands. Not sure how that one came about, but… it’s real. You may be wondering what ki...

My neighbor Larry was not a good gift giver. Every time he gave his wife a gift for Christmas, her birthday, or their anniversary, she complained about what a sucky gift it was. She was starting to get angry. "Larry, the next time you give me a bad gift, I will light it on fire!" A week later was Larry's wife's birthday. She came down to see only one small box. She sighed and went to go get a lighter. She opened up the present. It was a candle. What is the best gift you've ever given or received?  Hard to believe Lent is coming to an end, right? We are in the fifth week of Lent, and next week is Palm Sunday! I mean - I know many of us are focused on Easter in two weeks, but the journey really is getting tough right now for Jesus.  In the scripture this morning, we are six days before Passover, where everyone would be gathering for the celebration. But in our context, this is just letting us know that it's getting closer to Jesus' crucifixion....

  Notes from the Pastor’s Desk Welcome to October! My house will certainly be busy this month. It’s Birthday Month! It seemed like we planned it this way, but Tadjena’s birthday is on September 30th, followed by Aaron’s birthday on October 6th, and then Ali’s on October 18th. It’s a packed three weeks there…  In the meantime, we will be starting a sermon series through the book of Job, in the Old Testament. The theme of the month will be OVERCOMING DIFFICULTY. This seems like a simple concept, but for some - this is very challenging. When faced with a new situation, our nerves are activated, and it can end up being taken as a fight or flight response. But after the response is over, if we find ourselves in a less than desirable place, questions, doubts, and regret can derail progress in staying positive and willing to tackle hard circumstances.  Are you feeling stuck in your faith life? That may be a difficulty you’re having trouble getting past. Here a few id...