From the Pastor’s Desk… ‘Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God’ (Mark 12:13-17) In Jesus’ day, Roman coins, like the denarius mentioned in the Gospel reading, bore an image of the Roman Emperor of the day, and an inscription declaring him to be divine and high priest. However, Jesus’ response to those who try to…

From the Pastor’s Desk… The First Reading says that the Lord of hosts will provide a feast for His people, a feast of choice wines and rich and juicy food. Rich food is the kind that our culture warns us against. Everything shouts at us that if we want to look good and be healthy, the one thing we should be sure…

From your Pastor’s Desk… Can you relate to any of these questions? If you answered ‘yes’ or even ‘maybe’ to any of these – BOY, DO WE HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU! Starting this Tuesday, October 6th, I (and occasional guest speakers) will begin an adult education program addressing all of the above. The program is officially called the Order of Christian…

…From your Pastor’s Desk Here is a question I am often asked: Why do bad things happen to good people? There are clues. First, how many people do you know who are completely good or completely bad? A childlike, over-simplified belief says that good friends are always good. Adults, on the other hand, know how mixed the human reality is. Each of…

…From your Pastor’s Desk JUST IMAGINE I taught grade school religion for a short semester when I was about 22. By accident I discovered a great trick of teaching, one I needed very much. The class, you see, was in complete chaos each time I arrived in mid-day. But if I told a story, even the simplest story, the pandemonium ceased. It…

from your Pastor’s Desk… Love and Forgiveness In the Gospel reading, Peter wants to know how many times he has to forgive someone who sins against him. What is the number of times, Peter wants to know, that he has to forgive that sinner? But this question is confused. There is no such number as the one Peter is looking for. There…

from your Pastor’s Desk… If somebody does you wrong – do you wrong them right back, or even greater? Well, maybe you do – but the Gospel today shows us how, in great detail, we are to do otherwise, especially those within our own community, be it faith or family. This includes slander, public shame, taking what is rightfully yours, and all…

……from the Pastor’s Desk “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” To understand today’s Gospel we must look back to a time in our lives when, in retrospect, we see that something, or someone we wanted, and didn’t get – turned out to be the very best in the long run. Garth Brooks…

……from the Pastor’s Desk “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “He’s a man, he’s just a man,” sang Mary Magdalene in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.It is one answer to the question, Who is Jesus Christ? “We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first, rock ’n’ roll or Christianity,” said John Lennon of…

……from the Pastor’s Desk Food for Dogs? Sunday’s Gospel can give a headache both to preachers and to people in the pews. Jesus refuses to hear a woman because she is, in his metaphor, one of the “dogs.” OUCH. You know the story. The Canaanite woman cries out for help and Jesus at first will not even talk to her. The disciples…