For Christians, this is the season of Epiphany, which means “manifestation.” Epiphany began Jan. 6, concluding the Christmas season with a celebration of God’s glory revealed in …

Whew! You made it through the holiday rush. Time to take a deep breath, exhale, let your cheeks flop, and unclench your teeth. I don’t know how your home looks, but my office looks like a …

Christmas is one of the big holidays in the Christian church. I know it’s been commercialized, and non-Christians even use it for a holiday for gift giving and a break from work. …

My wife, Sandi, and I had the privilege of leading a team of teenagers and some adults on a mission trip to Haiti. This trip happened early in my ministry while I was a youth pastor. I felt very …

Hello, friends! When one is suffering from injustices, one might understandably reach out for some due acknowledgement and succor, and even some charity. We hear their plea and then we pretty …

December begins the season of Advent or literally “coming.” To get ready, Our Savior’s and other churches that follow a liturgical calendar change the altar coverings to blue and …

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. As anxiety rises, people are …

I recently saw a promotional church video on Facebook. I recall it had the tagline of being a church for “the generations.” The video had wonderful footage of people in worship, …

I f you’re old enough, you’ve probably heard this phrase before – maybe even from Yosemite Sam. It was coined in the 1800s and expresses surprise: kind of like “Great …

As I sit here writing this worship column, it is exactly one week until the 2024 election. I write, not knowing what the outcome or the response will be following the first reports of numbers coming …

There is an ancient story about how to capture a monkey. The monkey hunter puts a banana through an open coconut. On one end of the coconut, the hole is large enough for the monkey to grab the …

Two weekends ago, our church held one of its semi-annual general conferences. The conference lasts the weekend and a number of the church leaders share messages for our own spiritual growth. …

As I write this Beacon column, the Jewish community is preparing to celebrate a sacred month called the High Holy Days that begins the Jewish New Year. During this month, the Jewish community …

Monday is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, and while the story of the Italian explorer’s arrival in the New World is widely known, history often overlooks an extraordinary chapter that …

Hello friends! I just had a thing happen. It’s taking time, but I am super lucky, and I’ll be full speed quickly! Cool! For today, will you please indulge me?: from 29 years ago, please …

It’s that time of year again – the school year has officially begun! It means for some there are some “growing pains” of parents letting go and having their littles attend …

During my numerous visits to the Philippines, I have experienced many significant events, including a volcanic eruption and a major earthquake. I have also witnessed powerful movements of God …

I am a social person, but I have mixed feelings about social media. On the one hand, I love social media as a tool to help me stay connected with people who have touched my life. On the other hand, I …

Are you happy? What does happiness mean? It’s something we all seek, yet many of us struggle to achieve. Our society often points us toward material wealth as the key to happiness, but genuine …

I don’t keep up on current events. Ha, ha, I knew I couldn’t write that with a straight face. Who am I kidding? I’m a hooked-on-coffee news junkie. I read multiple news …