Category Archives: In A Nutshell

Paying taxes has never been popular among the general public, but most of us realize that it is a necessary practice to enable the government to manage our infrastructure and provide funding for essential programs and projects. In Biblical times, tax collectors were regarded as “sinners” because they extortedexcessive sums on behalf of the RomanContinue reading “In A Nutshell | April 18, 2024”

Cause for Alarm  Whenever the phone rings between midnight and 6 a.m., I always think the worst. In most cases, I am roused from a deep sleep and fearful about who is on the other end of the line and why they are calling at such an ungodly hour. I had a similar experience lastContinue reading “In A Nutshell | April 3, 2024”

God’s Covenant Predates Facial-Recognition Software Not too many years ago, facial recognition software would have been categorized as science fiction. There would be no way that a computer or phone screen could distinguish the features of one person from those of another…or so we thought. But here we are in this “Digital Age,” and suchContinue reading “In A Nutshell | March 19, 2024”

Springing Forward in Pursuit of God’s Light I’ve never been much of a morning person. I like to stay up late, but I dread getting up early. That’s why I’m not looking forward to this coming weekend, when we set the clocks ahead one hour. So consider this a friendly reminder that while our worshipContinue reading “In A Nutshell | March 7, 2024”

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”