Archive for category Pastor’s Articles
DUST
Posted by rsmith in Articles, Pastor's Articles on April 4, 2011
DUST By Rev. Al Hocutt I first thought about making the title “Lent: Not the type found in our belly buttons”, but Paula said nope. I wanted something up beat and funny for the Season of Lent. But I settled on “Dust”. The other seasons of the Church calendar are filled with celebrations, joy, peace, [...]
There Is No Place Like Home…
Posted by Ayden UMC in Articles, Pastor's Articles on September 10, 2010
This is the line that Dorothy continued to say over and over in the Wizard of Oz to bring her home. Dorothy defined home as being back in Kansas surrounded by her family. How do we define home? For me, home is that place that you can come back to and everything will be familiar. [...]
Tuesday Mornings With Al
Posted by Ayden UMC in Articles, News, Pastor's Articles on September 10, 2010
Tuesday mornings will be a time to gather and discuss scripture using a radical book—The Bible. Our first study will be on the Gospel of Mark. It begins on September 21st and ends on December 21st, each session from 11:00 a.m. to noon. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall gathered around the tables. Participants [...]
Strike!
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on May 14, 2009
Among his many other talents, our Lay Leader, Vance Sullivan is a very skilled bowler on a very skilled bowling team. At this writing, they are participating in a national tournament in Las Vegas. Unlike other things in Vegas, he will not stay there, and I expect to see him and Josette returning soon with [...]
By the Sword
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on March 26, 2009
When they came by night to arrest our Lord, Peter drew his sword and struck. Fortunately he wasn’t lethal. If he had been, the entire future of Christianity would have changed forever. Instead of one captive, the whole leadership would have been hanging on crosses the next day. Good advice to leave it alone and [...]
Memorial Day Sale
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on March 24, 2008
Memorial Day Sale 3/24/2008 The big weekend is upon us. Three days of special events and sales that get us to the backyard, beach or boutique. It’s Memorial Day! The day we are supposed to remember those who gave their lives for our freedoms, and those who continue to do so. There are some solemn [...]
The Moral Dimension of Pandemics
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on November 11, 2003
I read with great interest Bishop Mvume Dandala’s statements on HIV/AIDS in Africa. In it he proposes that the pandemic be viewed as a moral issue. I don’t think that will work. This is not to suggest that there is no moral component to the war on AIDS. There is. But in our society we [...]
Flash and Bang
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on July 20, 2003
It all happened so fast. One day, they seemed perfectly happy, obviously in love. The next . . . one was gone! And then, mysteriously, the other was gone as well. Flash and Bang, the two snails I had recently purchased for my pond, were nowhere to be found. I was frantic. These two snails [...]
Peace, Peace!
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on April 17, 2003
But there is no peace. For all the candle burning, marches, prayer vigils, etc. war happened. The rhetoric of the church seems to have had little effect on either the nation politic or the national polls. A war machine unlike any seen before rolled outnumbered and unchecked to the heart of a country the size [...]
The Donor
Posted by revlev in Pastor's Articles on April 1, 2003
For years I have made it a habit to donate blood. The process doesn’t take long and, who knows, maybe it helped save a life. I was trying to explain all this to my Granddaughter, Rachel, who is three. (You know it was inevitable that I would write something about my grandchildren.) I explained that [...]