Recently while one of my grandsons was outdoors playing, he decided he was going to try to catch a bee … with his bare hands.

We have been looking at the subject of the Bible in these articles.

As we continue through the COVID-19 pandemic, I have seen two tendencies among some church leaders that disturb me.

In recent days we’ve witnessed various responses to the current crisis we’re facing – some we might frown upon and others we might applaud.

The book of Habakkuk is one of the shorter books in the Old Testament, having only three chapters. In the middle of the book is a promise many of us memorized in VBS years ago. It reads, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

For the last few weeks we have been discussing the Bible. There was a time when the Bible was considered by the majority of people to be an authoritative work.

We are living in an unprecedented time, in a crisis that no one has ever experienced on such a massive scale.

Last week we began to look at the objection that the Bible is untrustworthy because the Bible was written by men. In that article I challenged you to consider the fact that if you dismiss the Bible because “it was written by men,” in reality you have to dismiss every piece of literature because it is all written by men.

We have never faced a situation like this. And it is difficult to know exactly what to say

The Old Testament judge Samuel was commanded by Jehovah to go to Bethlehem and anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the successor to King Saul.

Last weekend there were news reports about churches changing some of their practices due to the risks of the corona virus.

It’s a term we’ve become all too familiar with recently – social distancing.

John 3 contains some of the most familiar words in Scripture. Set up as a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, we hear words that cross all denominational boundaries.

There was a time, not too long ago, when one could say “The Bible says,” and people took that as authority.

To really appreciate today’s wildflower we need to think of the color wheel.

So, it’s time to change our clock’s again in most of the U.S.

The Old Testament prophet Habbakuk declared, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habbakuk 2:14)

I had a rather humbling experience last week. I listened to a recording of the very first sermon I ever preached.

When we celebrated Ash Wednesday a week and a half ago, we began the season of Lent, the 40-day journey that will conclude with Holy Week and its remembrance of the suffering, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

I remember as a small child the fascination I had with dandelions.

On her birthday my wife and I went bowling with one of our daughters and some of our grandchildren.

Last week we began looking at the difficult area of forgiveness.

If you came upon some of us “liturgical sorts” this past Wednesday, you would have seen black smudges upon our foreheads. Ash Wednesday, in which we receive those ashen crosses, begins the season of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter.

For those of us in liturgical churches, this coming Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday before the season of Lent.

The flowering dogwood, native to Southeastern U.S., blooms in late March and early April, normally coinciding with the celebration of Easter.

As I got into my car and pulled out onto what is normally a busy thoroughfare for that time of day, I was struck by the fact that there were no other vehicles on the road.

I read a story about a church in a small town that had just purchased a new organ. Half of the congregation wanted the organ placed on the left side of the church (from the pews’ perspective) and the other half of the church wanted it placed on the right side of the church.

I love African American History Month and asking members of our church along with colleagues and friends what people inspired them.

To most Americans the study of wildflowers seems like the study of “weeds.”

Recently we were able to enjoy a rare snowfall in our area. If I had been at home, there wouldn’t have been much to see. However, we had traveled to my daughter’s house for a birthday party for one of our grandchildren. It turned out to be the perfect scenario.

There is a deadly deception in Western Christianity. When it began, I am not sure, but it became popular in this country during the Second Great Awakening (1792-1868).

Recently a couple of my grandchildren entered the church building with a group of other kids for a Scout meeting, walking past the open door of my office without greeting me or acknowledging my presence.

The Sermon on the Mount, recorded in chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew, contains many profound insights.

Like many of you I spent Sunday evening (Feb. 2), with friends watching the Super Bowl.

Whenever I think about the Civil Rights movement, my mind goes immediately to the example of Rosa Parks and her heroic refusal to give up her seat on the bus.

Recently I had to get a new cell phone after my old one had begun showing signs of its advanced age – occasionally acting crazy, shutting down, and not wanting to power up again.

There is a plethora of sites on social media where the participant has the opportunity to answer some questions and then they are told which Hollywood character or actor they are most like.

Growing up in California, I have always been a Lakers fan.

A grape vine must be carefully trimmed so that the healthy branches can bear many bunches of grapes.

In the Bible, the word “family” has a much broader meaning than father, mother and children.

After a recent day of heavy rain I saw a local TV news report about a flooded apartment building. The video showed a stream of water flowing out the door of an apartment. My heart ached for those dealing with such a problem, but my mind went back to one morning some years ago when I encountered a similar sight.

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” (Psalm 14:1, NIV). This is without doubt, one of the harshest verses found in Holy Scripture.

Though I had never heard of him, the church lost a great ecumenical leader when Pablo Sosa died at the age of 85 on Jan. 11. Pablo Sosa was an Argentinian Methodist pastor who became a leader within the global church. He did so not by any great speeches that he gave but through the hymns that he wrote.

One Sunday Toni was cleaning up after worship. As I entered the sacristy, I could tell something was bothering her. When I asked her, she told me how angry she was about something I said in my sermon.

In Genesis 8:22 God is responding to Noah’s offering, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Last weekend my wife and I went to see the newest Star Wars movie. Obviously we’re not die-hard fans of that saga since we waited several weeks after its release for the crowds to thin out before viewing the film. Nor did we dress up in appropriate costumes as our kids did for one of the pre…

This past week I read a letter by a young woman who was distraught over losing a friend because she (the young woman writing the letter) had lost her faith.

Several years ago astronomers announced the discovery of a new planet.

On New Year’s morning I turned on the TV to hear a news anchor optimistically declare, “It’s going to be a good year!” However, as I heard the morning headlines, I could see why someone could come away with a very different prognosis. 

The New Year brings new hope for many people.