by Dale Rintelman | Apr 20, 2022 | Elder Reflection, Pastoral
“I promise” How many times have you heard someone utter those words to you? Maybe you have uttered them yourself to someone else. Did they believe you? Hebrews tells us that God a covenant with Abraham and swore by Himself… His Name… His...
by Paul Leichty | Dec 17, 2020 | COVID-19, Elder Reflection, Pastoral
Luke 1:39-56 46 And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… (Luke 1:46–47 NRSV) I enjoy Christmas music! The hymns, songs, and carols are among the most joyous of all music. I also like Advent music. Advent music is...
by Paul Leichty | Oct 29, 2020 | COVID-19, Elder Reflection, Pastoral
Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 We live in an age of great change, and great change usually means great losses. All of us face losses on a...
by Paul Leichty | Oct 15, 2020 | COVID-19, Elder Reflection, Pastoral
Have you ever been in a situation where you simply could not convince someone of a truth you felt was obvious and self-evident? It can be frustrating. “Why won’t they believe me?” The temptation is to become angry, to lose your temper, and swear. “Swearing” in this...
by Paul Leichty | Sep 16, 2020 | Elder Reflection, Pastoral
In a previous article, When Blessings Become Curses, I wrote about one of the Old Testament words for “bless” and “blessing,” the Hebrew word, barak. This article focuses on another word for blessing, ashar, or asher, which originally meant “straight,” “level,”...
by Paul Leichty | Sep 10, 2020 | COVID-19, Elder Reflection, Pastoral
In today’s society, the words “bless” and “blessing” are sometimes used quite casually. When somebody sneezes, another person will respond, “Bless you!” When something happy or positive happens to someone whether it is a new baby, new job, or a lottery jackpot, those...