In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul encouraged them with these words: As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NIV)).  And the Apostle Peter, in his second letter, had this to say to his readers:  So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory…, (2 Peter 1:12–14 (NIV)).  In this same spirit, and in light of the current political and social climate, it seems to be an excellent time to remind ourselves of our mission and core values as followers of Jesus walking together with this expression of the body of Christ we call Central Congregational Church. Keeping ourselves focused on the values of the kingdom of God taught by Jesus will keep us from allowin...

As we head into the warm, lazy days of summer, planning or at least dreaming of a vacation or looking forward to a little slower pace for a few weeks, there is a grief – sharp for some, lingering for many – at what we have lost. Whether our loss is personal or just a nagging sense of foreboding at the state of things, most would agree that we live in troubling times and are experiencing some level of grief at the loss of a perceived time of greater peace, stability and community. To this point, our CCC family seems to have encountered more than our share of grief lately, as many in our congregation are battling serious illnesses, relational challenges, loss of jobs and, most devastatingly, the death of several of our brothers in the Lord. While the days are longer and the sun is high and hot, more than a few of us are struggling to keep our heavy hearts from growing cold with grief. Whether we are actively grieving or simply battling a general sense of malaise, we shouldn't be surpri...

Recently, I preached a message from John chapter 14 focusing on verse six, where John quotes Jesus' familiar and provocative words, "I am the way, the truth and the life." As a part of the message, I emphasized that we cannot know the truth of Jesus and certainly cannot enter into the life of Jesus without understanding and walking in the way of Jesus. This observation seems especially relevant at a time when many people are claiming to speak for Jesus and attempting to justify divisive, self-serving and sometimes violent actions in his name. Online pontification, peaceful protest and civil disobedience are increasingly regular occurrences as people all across the globe seek to champion their socio-political agendas, stand up for the disenfranchised, or address abuse and violence from war to human trafficking. There is undoubtedly a time and a place to speak our minds, take a stand for what we believe, or do so for those who cannot stand or speak for themselves. However, those who cla...