The power of positive thinking. Really.

Last updated on: February 19, 2018 at 8:05 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

Positive thinking seldom cures debilitating diseases. All the prayers in the world won’t regrow an amputated limb. But how you respond to situations lays the foundation for future situations. Scripture says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. How do you react to the rain? How do you respond to difficulty? Your reaction to situations impacts what happens next in your life. Life is short and difficult and astonishingly beautiful. Moments of wondrous miracles are intertwined with the... Read more

Cultural Christians ~ when Christianity isn't Christianity

Last updated on: February 11, 2018 at 2:39 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

A prominent voice in mainstream media is Cultural Christians who care more about the culture than they do about actually following the teachings of Jesus. You know who they are — sycophant, sympathetic apologists for sexist, racist bigots and patriarchal white men who worship a god of power, not the God who gave us Jesus. They are enmeshed in politics and use hot button issues to appeal to their base — abortion, marriage, birth control, sex — they claim the... Read more

Initial J: Saint John the Evangelist

Last updated on: January 29, 2018 at 11:25 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

(Click the image for an extraordinary closeup) Georges Trubert (French, active Provence, France 1469 – 1508) Initial J: Saint John the Evangelist, about 1480 – 1490, Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold and silver paint, and ink on parchment Leaf: 11.4 × 8.6 cm (4 1/2 × 3 3/8 in.) The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Read more

"Jesus wouldn't help people in need?" What Jesus are you talking about?

Last updated on: January 27, 2018 at 7:20 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

I recently saw a comment online that said Jesus wouldn’t help people in need – that he would help people to help themselves. Just another example of the damage some so-called, self-described Christians do in the name of Jesus — a Jesus of their own invention. The only miracle Jesus performs in all four Gospels is feeding hungry people in need. (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15) Jesus didn’t ask them if they could afford to buy... Read more

Being intentional and being still

Last updated on: January 13, 2018 at 9:38 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

We have a handmade pottery pitcher we use to water plants and add water to the fish tanks or the dog’s bowl. The unique triangle spout design allows for a steady yet controlled flow of water. But we have to pour at the pitcher’s pace. If we rush, the water overflows the spout. The pitcher forces us to be thoughtful and intentional. We must take our time and focus on the stream of water. A mere thirty seconds and the... Read more

Fire and Rain and drops of pain

Last updated on: January 9, 2018 at 7:30 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

Have you heard James Taylor’s Fire and Rain? Of course you have. Everyone has. The first verse is about the suicide of his friend Suzanne Schnerr. The second verse is about him kicking his heroin addiction, and the third verse is about the end of his band, “James Taylor and the Flying Machine.” The line isn’t about an airplane crash. There is much pain and suffering in the song, which makes it easy for people to connect with. We all... Read more

"For Everything There is a Season"

Last updated on: December 31, 2017 at 10:08 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

Sermon for Dec. 31, 2017 For audio of the sermon, listen here: From the Lectionary for Jan. 1. 2018 Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3:3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build... Read more

Christmas Day

Last updated on: December 25, 2017 at 9:15 am By Jim Meisner Jr.

Virgin birth? What difference does it make?

Last updated on: December 20, 2017 at 11:07 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

As sure as Christmas means Santa and gingerbread, someone asks about the “virgin birth.” Some Christians find value in the Biblical birth narrative. Some demand belief in the Virgin Mary or belief in the scriptures that give us the Christmas story of a babe born in a manger. But early Christians weren’t as concerned with the birth of Jesus, as they were concerned with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The story of Jesus’ birth is in only two of... Read more

Shamash — the helper

Last updated on: December 15, 2017 at 12:07 pm By Jim Meisner Jr.

A seven-branched menorah symbolizes Jewish Temple tradition. The nine-branched Hanukkah menorah is lit during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah. A new branch is lit on each night of Hanukkah. In the ancient story, when the Maccabean revolt led to the restoration of the Temple, there was only enough oil to light the lamp for a night. But in miraculous fashion, each evening enough oil remained for another night. And then another, and finally enough oil for eight nights. The ninth... Read more