Let It Begin And Continue With Us

Rev. Richard Smith Luke 6:36 Words Of Jesus Be compassionate as God is compassionate. We sang in worship this morning (December 19) the familiar song, Let There Be Peace On Earth.  This inspiring song was written in 1956 and has over the decades become a favorite of so many.  The opening words are:  Let there …

Lessons From The Shepherds

Rev. Richard P. Smith And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night (Luke2:8).  Thus begins one of the most familiar parts of the Biblical Christmas story.  Shepherds out in the fields watching over their sheep.  An angel of the Lord appears and tells them that the …

Heartbreak And Jesus

Rev. Richard P. Smith The horrific storms which hit six states on Friday night, Saturday morning have riveted all of us.  Currently, there may be 50+ deaths in Kentucky and 14 in the other states.  Beyond the loss of life, there is the loss of livelihood; the extensive loss of property; and dreams shattered.Moreover, these …

The Wonder Of This Holy Season

Rev. Richard Smith Note Luke 2:1-12 Birth of Jesus While Christmas in so many ways is about the wonder of children, it is also a time for reflecting on a wonder far deeper than Santa’s gifts or childlike glee. The wonder of Christmas is the wonder of great truths which can change our lives and …

Authentic Spirituality

Rev. Richard Smith Two words regularly used in our contemporary culture are “authentic” and “genuine”.  There’s a plethora of religious writing inviting us to assess ourselves and/or others as to whether our lives portray authentically what a Christian’s life should look like. On a personal level, I kind of like these two words.  They have …

On Believing In Heaven

Rev. Richard Smith I Corinthians 15:42, 44   Words of Paul‘So will it be with the resurrection of the dead.  The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable…It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. None of …