Dear Friends, In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 13:4-13) we find a description of Christian love.    “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily...

Dear Friends,   The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 51:10-11, “Create in me a pure heart, O God,   and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me from your presence   or take your Holy Spirit from me.” King David was well aware of his transgressions and sinfulness and realized...

Dear Friends, One of the most useful books in any preacher’s library is The Hard Sayings of Jesus by F. F. Bruce. And this week, we probably have one of the hardest teaching moments in Jesus earthly ministry in John 6:56-69. When they heard what Jesus had said about consuming His body...

Dear Friends. We were new in the town of Penicuik, 10 miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. My mother was checking out the churches in town, of which there were four belonging to the Church of Scotland. As with the whole town, everywhere was within walking distance and the North...

Dear Friends, Each year, our Vacation Bible School takes over the church for a week in early August. This year is no exception, and once again, it has exceeded our expectations for fun and fulfilling ways to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.   The concept for 2024 was...

Dear Friends, Three of us from UPC Flanders, Susie Christensen, Rob Vazzanna and myself joined a larger group of around twenty six volunteers, who went to Shady Valley, Tennessee for a week with the Appalachian Service Project. Three pastors, assorted adult leaders and a collection of youth groups from churches...

Dear Friends, When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him and set out on their adventure of discipleship, all they knew was that this teacher was changing and had the power to change their lives forever. They had heard His teaching, experienced and seen His miracles, got up and followed...

Dear Friends, Most of the tornadoes and hurricanes which are reported on are the ones which strike the USA mainland followed by the heroic efforts of communities to rebuild and recover. The resilience and stamina of people to begin again after such devastation is remarkable and something to be admired...

Dear Friends, There are many ways to celebrate Independence Day. We will probably go to a local celebration. But perhaps we will also do some exploring of this amazing land. We often hear about people taking road-trips to explore America and this may well be something we will have to...

Dear Friends, “Life is difficult.”   That is how M. Scott Peck begins his book ‘The Road Less Travelled’. He explains how helpful it is to acknowledge this truth but also that it does not help for us, to whine or moan about our problems, at least to other people....