Category Archives: In A Nutshell

May the Peace of Christ be with You, Today and Always! As we prepare for the second Sunday of Advent, I invite you to take a few moments from the hustle and bustle of your holiday preparation to rest and relax. This week, we will light the candle of peace, and let’s face it, weContinue reading “In A Nutshell | December 3, 2021”

Book of Discipline Provides Enlightenment and Inspiration When it comes to recommending great reads, The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline is unlikely to be found on anybody’s Top 10 list. However, because I am required to have at least some working knowledge of its contents, I can tell you that there is, in fact,Continue reading “In A Nutshell | November 26, 2021”

Lifting Christ’s Name with Praise and Thanksgiving This weekend, we will celebrate Christ the King Sunday, a sacred but somewhat understated observance in the church. Our Catholic friends often refer to this as theFeast of Christ the King, or the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of theUniverse. Either way, it provides an opportunityContinue reading “In A Nutshell | November 19, 2021”

How Making and Mixing Candy Can Bring Us Together If you have not yet had an opportunity to participate in one of our Glass Candy making sessions — or even if you have — please consider joining us on Monday evening for what might be our final gathering this year.  Our expert “Brewmeister,” Elizabeth Feldman,Continue reading “In A Nutshell | November 12, 2021”

Help Us Help Others Come in from the Cold I think it’s safe to say that most people don’t like weather extremes. Some prefer warm summer evenings; others enjoy crisp fall mornings; but most of us would choose 72 degrees and bright blue skies over anything else. Unfortunately, the weather in Ohio does not alwaysContinue reading “In A Nutshell | November 5, 2021”

Lifting the Burden of Sin and Living a Christ-Like Life Some years ago, when I was working part-time in radio, I struggled with many of the technical aspects of the job, such as how to patch into the network news feed at the top of the hour or how program the automation to keep theContinue reading “In A Nutshell | October 29, 2021”

Let Us Break Bread Together on Sunday Having a meal with a friend or colleague can be an enjoyable, uplifting, heartwarming, and even spiritual experience. With that in mind, Oak Chapel will resume its longstanding tradition of monthly Fellowship Dinners this Sunday (Oct. 24), ending an 18-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus. Why is itContinue reading “In A Nutshell | October 25, 2021”

Bazaar, Glass Candy, Fellowship Dinners, and More Some things never get old and never go out of style. Case in point: three long-standing traditions here at Oak Chapel — the Fall Bazaar, Glass Candy-Making, and monthly Fellowship Dinners. These three staples of our church life were a big deal when my family and I attendedContinue reading “In A Nutshell | October 15, 2021”

Spiritual Sustenance: A Great Way to Start Your Day! Nutritionists recommend that we break our nightly fast with a healthy and hearty breakfast. I’ve never been a big breakfast person because if I eat too much, I often feelbloated for the rest of the day, so I usually start each morning rather light with someContinue reading “In A Nutshell | October 8, 2021”

Let Everyone Know that Oak Chapel Has a Place for Them The vacations we took as a family when I was growing up were modest at best — usually a destination within four hours of our home in suburban Pittsburgh. My parents were kind, loving, and generous people, but they were also very frugal andContinue reading “In A Nutshell | October 1, 2021”