The Gospel of Mark is part of the synoptic Gospels. The early church attributes authorship to John Mark, a student of Peter in Rome. Written by Mark witnessed earlier by Peter. It is though to have been written around 64 AD under Emperor Nero. Nero launched Persecution of believer’s of the way. The original audience is believers in Rome. It is probable…
Earlier this month, I got a flat tire from a tear in the sidewall. Without a spare tire in my car (hybrids use that space for a battery), I relied on the next best option. As I was waiting for Triple A to come and tow my car, there was a parade of generous people who came by happy to share their…
525, 600 minutes in one year. Is there a way to get more? Regularly do emails, podcasts, and morning shows suggest ways to maximize your time. Streamline a process. Eliminate redundancies and smooth out unnecessary roles and tasks. Maybe more moments will show up in your day. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and…
Last weekend, Steve and I took some time away in New York City for our anniversary. We walked through Times Square, around Broadway specifically, and the rest of the Theater district. We heard lots of voices calling to get our attention. Large television screens advertising everything from news stations to clothing. There were broadcasts of games and talk shows. There were pop-up…
Do Luke: Authenticator of the Miracles and Message of Jesus “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John”, when Christians hear these four names, most automatically think of the Gospel writers. Scholars believe the Gospels were written between 40 and 90 AD, the hastening factor being the death of eyewitnesses, the first generation of Christians who actually knew Jesus. The Disciples believed that Jesus would…
Almost every day, I walk to the bus stop. In this season of life, two of three children regularly ride the bus. For any of you who have, do, or will relate to a bus stop, you know it is a nexus of news. Students are exchanging news. Parents are sharing news. Bus drivers have news. News is to trafficked in. Bus…
Prophecy sometimes gets a bad rap like the proverbial boy who cried wolf. Or, if you prefer, like the ominous warning Winter is Coming from Game of Thrones. Being the lone voice who is calling the community to hear them can be lonely and long, draining and daunting. And yet, this is the work of the prophet. Look and listen. We hear…
The streaming video of this service can be found on Facebook. You will have to copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.facebook.com/westgroveumc/videos/1576499385788371/ Do you remember the days of listening to the news at home on the television at a set time? Maybe the 6 o’clock nightly news after dinner or the 7 o’clock news as you were getting…
Swashbuckling pirates, adventure on the high seas, riding the bus to school, making it on time to your appointments, babysitting your grandchild, working a full day at work, sometimes all of those require equal parts courage and abandon. With all truth, I say that in earnest. I have heard some of the stories of the excitement that can come from the bus,…
Perhaps, nothing has a deeper tradition than what you eat where. Let’s try just a couple: On thanksgiving, we eat… On a campfire, we make After shoveling a snowy driveway, I want to drink…. This end of the summer series sets for us an example of how we use our favorite books, movies, art, and culture to see God’s very presence all…