Category Archives: In A Nutshell

A Refreshing Change When our current church was built in the late 1960s, I have to believe that the Trustees discussed the possibility of air conditioning, but they probably nixed the idea because of cost. Air conditioning was more of a luxury than a necessity back then. A lot has changed in 50 years, andContinue reading “In A Nutshell | July 23, 2021”

Reflecting on the ‘Sounds of Silence’ Because it is so rare to experience complete silence in our bustling world today, I was caught off guard earlier this week when I stopped into the sanctuary and heard absolutely nothing. No trucks barreling down Route 250, no motorcycles racing down Old Lincoln Way, no birds chirping inContinue reading “In A Nutshell | July 16, 2021”

Even After All These Years, Some Things Still Surprise Us When we get to a certain age, like me for example, we tend to think that we have “seen it all” and that “nothing surprises us” anymore. Some people go so far as to think that they “know it all.” Clearly, we know better thanContinue reading “In A Nutshell | July 9, 2021”

‘Pull Up a Chair’ as We Dedicate our Garden and Chapel When someone invites you to “pull up a chair,” it is usually a symbol of good old-fashioned hospitality, as if to say, “you are welcome to join us.” I would like to echo those sentiments as we further advance our efforts to be anContinue reading “In A Nutshell | July 2, 2021”

Very Often, the Greatest Things in Life are Free When I was a kid, I loved getting things for free. Obviously, I did not have asource of income at that age, and although my parents were very generous, it didn’tmean that I could have anything I wanted, so I resorted to looking through catalogues(there wasContinue reading “In A Nutshell | June 25, 2021”

Take Time to Rest, Relax, and Reflect This Summer Maybe it’s my age, but people’s driving habits are getting on my nerves more than ever before. A few weeks ago, an SUV was tailgating me all the way down Route 585. When we got to the traffic light in Smithville — the county’s most well-knownContinue reading “In A Nutshell | June 11, 2021”

Oak Chapel’s ‘Team’ Ready to Take the Field and the World by Storm The Cleveland Browns are the new darlings of the National Football League. Many of the so-called experts are picking them to go to the Super Bowl in 2022. Excitement and anticipation are running high, but the question is, how did they getContinue reading “In A Nutshell | June 4, 2021”

Join Us as We Celebrate the Valor of Veterans and the Triumph of the Trinity What a difference a year makes! Last year’s Memorial Day weekend was anything but a holiday. No picnics, no amusement parks, no ballgames, and very few vacation options. This year, restrictions are being lifted, and life as we knew itContinue reading “In A Nutshell | May 28, 2021”

The Spirit is Present (and Moving) Among Us Prayer can take place anywhere at any time, but I find such moments of reflection especially meaningful in the Sanctuary. As I have mentioned in the past, I try to stop in at least once each morning just to “check in” with the Lord and offer aContinue reading “In A Nutshell | May 21, 2021”

Mask Removal Coming Soon; Let’s Make It Permanent! As we continue to emerge from the dark shadow cast by the coronavirus, people everywhere, including here at Oak Chapel, are asking, “When can we remove our masks?” Good question! I think all of us are ready to put our masks in a deep corner of ourContinue reading “In A Nutshell | May 14, 2021”