Author Archives: Oak Chapel UMC

Tracing Our Physical and Spiritual Roots Genealogy has become a very popular pastime for many people since the completion of the human genome project more than two decades ago. Most families are not able to trace their heritage further back than a few generations, but the pursuit is growing, thanks to such websites as Ancestry.com,Continue reading “In A Nutshell | February 23, 2024”

An Invitation to Worship and Fellowship This Sunday People rarely complain about having a day off, but I must admit that I felt a little out of place last Sunday when I was not with you during worship. Our Staff-Parish Relations Committee very kindly and generously afforded me a day off, and Steve Moore volunteeredContinue reading “In A Nutshell | February 15, 2024”

A ‘Souper’ Invitation for Super Bowl Sunday There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hot soup to warm one’s heart on a cold winter’s day. In fact, the only thing better than enjoying a steamy cup of vegetable, chicken noodle, mushroom, or broccoli cheese is sharing it with someone else, particularly someone who may notContinue reading “In A Nutshell | February 8, 2024”

Standing in the Shadows or Walking in the Light? I think we all know what’s coming up at the end of this week. That’s right, Friday is Groundhog Day, one of the silliest but also one of the more charming days of the year. Pity the poor groundhog. Yanked out of a hole before dawnContinue reading “In A Nutshell | February 1, 2024”

Following the Footprints In the aftermath of this past Sunday’s evangelism event, in which we invited and honored First Responders as well as others from our area, I was struck by the soiled floor in the Narthex, which showed the remnants of the snow and ice that were tracked inside — a result of anContinue reading “In A Nutshell | January 24, 2024”

A Salute to the Real Lifesavers We toss around the term “lifesaver” rather casually these days, but if you have ever been in a life-threatening situation, you can certainly appreciate those who put their lives on the line to save ours. Firefighters, paramedics, police officers, doctors, nurses, and other emergency personnel are true heroes. ThisContinue reading “In A Nutshell | January 17, 2024”

Using Our Personal Platform to Spread the Good News (282) At a time when professional athletes are known as much for their massive egos and outrageous salaries as their ability, rookie NFL quarterback and former Ohio State Buckeye C.J. Stroud is a breath of fresh air. In his first year with the Houston Texans, heContinue reading “In A Nutshell | January 11, 2024”

Hope in the Midst of Darkness and Despair The year 2023 has finally come to an end, and not a moment too soon. As you know, our church was hit extremely hard by the passing of longtime, loyal members, and their loss has left a significant void in our hearts. Since July 1, we haveContinue reading “In A Nutshell | January 3, 2024”

Let Peace and Good Will Reign In the Gospel of Luke (2:13-15), an angel appears with a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven,Continue reading “In A Nutshell | December 15, 2023”

Riding the Great White Horse On my way to the church each morning, I make a point of looking to my left and checking out the small white horses in the corral just east of the bright red barn.  In modern-day culture, the one who rides the white horse is the “good guy,” the nobleContinue reading “In A Nutshell | December 6, 2023”