Blogs And Devotionals (Page 21)
CYF Blast & Family Tip Of The Week December 8, 2022
December 8, 2022 Dear Peace families, This year I’ve waited a little bit longer than usual to listen to Christmas music. I’m not sure if there was any specific reason for it—I just wasn’t ready yet. But when I did start to listen, I noticed something—that the music always seems to meet us wherever we are in our lives and proclaim Christ’s presence, promise, and peace into them. Presence—that God will not leave us alone in our deepest challenges nor…
E-Note December 2, 2022
December 2, 2022 Dear Peace members and friends, Coming up is the Second Sunday of Advent. We will again light candles on the Advent wreath. It’s a tradition, created by a German pastor in the 19th century as a way to teach children about the coming of Jesus Christ. The tradition traces back to 1833 in Hamburg, Germany. Johann Hinrich Wichern opened the “Rauhe Haus,” the Rough House, which sheltered orphaned or neglected children. Every night of Advent, he told them stories, prayed, and lit a…
CYF Blast & Family Tip Of The Week December 1, 2022
December 1, 2022 Dear Peace families, Next Friday, December 9, our Children, Youth, and Family Committee will be hosting a Parents Night Out event from 6:00-8:00pm. If you need time to do some Christmas shopping, enjoy some quality time with your spouse, or sit in the quiet alone, this event is for you! Registration before the event is required (no walk-ins), and there is a limit of 20 children. We also ask that you give a suggested donation of $5…
E-Note November 25, 2022
November 25, 2022 Dear Peace members and friends, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I like everything about it; the gathering of family and friends, the traditions of the day, the quiet. I like the fact that Thanksgiving is a joyful and simple day. I like the fact that it is much like it was when I was a boy; when we played touch football on the frozen ground and came home to a big meal. Yesterday was like…
CYF Blast & Family Tip Of The Week November 24, 2022
A happy Thanksgiving to you all! And beginning on Sunday, a blessed Advent to you all as well. As we continue into this holiday season, I pray that this time would filled with love. That you would be able to see family members, laugh over old stories, and smile over tables of delicious food. That your hearts would be opened to the needs of your neighbors and that your eyes would be opened to the divine within them. That God would fill you with…
E-Note – ThanksGiving 2022
Thanksgiving, 2022 Dear Peace members and friends, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope this holiday is a blessed one for you; even in the midst of whatever challenges you are facing. May I make a suggestion? Many of you have a Thanksgiving ritual of going around the table and answering the question, “What are you grateful for?” Yes, it is a good thing to point to the many gifts of our lives. But it isn’t always helpful to say, “I’m grateful…
E-Note November 18, 2022
November 18, 2022 Dear Peace members and friends, It’s hard to believe but it’s Thanksgiving week just around the corner! I hope that your plans and preparations are going well. And what better way to begin the week than to come to worship on Sunday! It is our second Sunday in a two-week stewardship emphasis, “On Giving Thanks.” Why give thanks? When you think about it, our church—any church—is a community of thanks, offering gratitude to God. And as we give thanks and gratitude,…
CYF Blast & Family Tip Of The Week November 17, 2022
November 17, 2022 Dear Peace Families, There are three things I’d like to inform you about today! The first is about this year’s Christmas Program, “Follow the Star.” The program follows Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born. And above Bethlehem, a star shines bright for all to see. The angels proclaim, “Follow the star!” And so the wisemen, shepherds, sheep, and all the animals abide, and find the greatest gift the world has ever known. You can…
E-Note November 11, 2022
November 11, 2022 Dear Peace members and friends, I have many things to share with you this morning; Harvest Pack, stewardship, some important staffing news, and, of course, a preview of Sunday’s worship. But first, let us recognize Veterans Day. Veterans Day is an official U.S. holiday celebrated on November 11th honoring people served and serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Unlike Memorial Day that remembers people who gave their lives while in service, Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. This sacrificial service assists in…
CYF Blast & Family Tip Of The Week November 10, 2022
November 10, 2022 Dear Peace Families, November. When colorful fall has officially become brown and gray fall. When the warm, sunny days have been blown out by the cold winds of the oncoming winter, and the rain chills you to your bones. I won’t speak for everyone, but for me, it can be hard to feel grateful when it feels so dreadful outside. But I’ve found that something that gets me out of the late fall funk is thinking about…
E-Note November 4, 2022
November 4, 2022 Dear Peace members and friends, First of all, don’t forget to turn your clocks back on Sunday! Here’s one reason why: it’s All Saints Sunday. We will name this congregation’s newest saints, remember Peace members who have died since last All Saints Sunday, and, last of all, name those dear to you who have lived and died in the faith. We call them “saints”—not because they have performed miracles or lived perfect lives—but because, in the New Testament, St. Paul refers…
CYF Blast & Family Tip Of The Week November 3, 2022
November 3, 2022 Dear Peace Families, There’s an uncomfortable conversation that many parents dread having with their kids, and it’s one that is usually put off until they’re forced to have it—talking about death. We all die. It’s a fact of life, and it unites all of us in our common humanity. Yet it can sometimes seem taboo, as if avoiding the discussion will make it less likely to happen. But no matter how far we try to run away…