Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Just as the disciples did in our scripture today, we gather around our Lord. Jesus knows that we are like sheep without a shepherd and that often leisure time is scarce. So, he calls us to rest for awhile and listen to the many things he needs to teach us. What are some of those things we have learned from Jesus? He has set a model for us to emulate as we go through our daily routines. We can never attain the perfection of our Lord, but we can strive to be more like Jesus as we journey through our days here on earth. We are...
The annual prayer walk organized by The Southern Cove/Yellow Creek ministerium is a highlight of the year. This year, over 120 people gathered to bear witness to their Christian faith and tap into the power of prayer before the first day of school. This event has grown from a small group a few years ago, to the large gathering we witnessed this year. In 2020 and 2021, less than 30 people attended the prayer walk each year. Since 2022, participation has grown from 85, to 100, and on to 120 plus...
I hope you have lots of friends. But I hope you have at least one that is extra special. This one I would like to see you name and own as an “accountability partner”. This one is so special you can tell him/her anything. You know they will keep your confidence. More than that, they will keep you accountable. You can ask for their help and prayers. You can confess your weaknesses and your temptations. You will ask them to pray. More than that, they will challenge you to live in a way that is righ...
Last week I mentioned that early this summer our Sunday sermons examined what the Bible has to say about gender. This is a sensitive subject, able to invoke passionate and emotional responses. Ninety-five percent of women and 90% of men at some time in their lives are troubled about body image, fearing they do not measure up to cultural molds. Among those who wrestle with gender identity, 98% of boys and 88% of girls accept their biological sex after puberty. In last week’s article I mentioned our goal is to attempt to understand what Bible p...
The Williamsburg Community School Board updated many board policies during their meeting on Thursday, August 15. These policies included: records management, use of electronic signatures, open records policy, school organization, school calendar, school day, emergency preparedness, relations with law enforcement, school security personnel, child/student abuse, opening exercises/flag displays, food services, transportation and video/audio recording. The school board approved a five-year contract with Raystown Transit Services ending June 30,...
Imagine: You just said or did something very hurtful to your dearest loved one. What is worse is you knew it would be hurtful and even intended it to be so. But, you did it anyway, then left in a huff and were gone all day. It was a miserable day. You could not even call to apologize. Calling would not be best anyway. You need to do this in person, face to face. You were going to see this loved one tonight. As soon as you caught sight of them across the room, you went right to them and began to apologize. Perhaps tears came to your eyes and to...
I hope that you are in a good mood as you begin to read this article. That is because today I’m going to look at quotations on an interesting topic. Maybe it’s appropriate because the school year is just around the corner. And for my fellow Pittsburgh Pirate fans it is certainly a topic worth discussing. Whether you are a school teacher, student or long-suffering Bucco fan, perhaps you are feeling a little sad as summer fades. Sadness is something that I want to consider. Please note that some of the quotations I will refer to today are not...
This summer, some sermons in our Sunday morning worship were devoted to attempting to sort out an issue which can be confusing and frightening for many – transgenderism. As followers of Jesus we want to be loyal to the Bible and to interpret it accurately, doing our best to honor what it meant to the original audience, and not trying to read new meanings into the words on the page. And we also know we want to love people and show compassion without compromising the positions represented in Holy Scripture. Psalm 119:105 says to God, “Your Wor...
What or who are you trusting right now to change your life, restore your hope or to ease your pain? So often we are like rebellious children who wander away from God in search of something or someone whom we can trust. We turn to money, relationships, power or adventure. We turn to food or our work, only to discover that they offer only temporary help and empty promises. Maybe we can look at that lone coin in our pocket and see what is written on it: In God we trust. Maybe that can be a reminder that we can’t put our trust in another person. W...
Our congregation recently paused to recognize God’s goodness to us. The occasion was the retirement of our assistant pastor. His story is worth sharing in the hopes that it will inspire people of retirement age to be involved in ministry. If you fall into that age category, you have compiled life experience and skills and some mature perspectives on how to apply Biblical passages. The Bible pictures Christ’s followers as servants, and there is no retirement age for service in the Scriptures. That doesn’t mean that you will serve as a senio...
You may not like or may even disagree with my title. That’s O.K. I think I can justify it. Here is a simple response. I have never done this experiment but I have heard it was true from multiple sources When a chick is due to hatch, if you help it break out of its shell it will not survive. There is a thing called an ‘egg-tooth’ on top of its beak. The only purpose for this appendage is to allow the chick to peck around the shell and crack it. The chick then must push against the shell and break it open enough to come out. The rationale is th...
This summer my wife decided she wanted to plant some vegetables. This was a red flag for me simply because I lacked experience and we do not have the ideal setting or soil to become green giants. I recall helping my parents and grandmother with large gardens about 50 years ago. As an adult, I have always enjoyed maintaining a flowerbed and several potted flowers. I would usually grow a tomato plant or two in a pot. Dealing with flowers all summer always makes me think of my mother. She did an amazing job with flowers and plants. But in early Ju...
Among the most sobering places I have visited was a specialized neuro-ICU. The lights were dimmed. Everyone spoke in whispers. Patients lay mostly motionless. You got the impression that the ward was filled with intense suffering. I did not want to imagine what life was like for the patients. No wonder when Jesus launched His ministry in Galilee with healing that He drew international attention. Matthew 4:23 says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of s...
A weary, soul-stressed, woman comes to Jesus with a desperate need and pleads with Him for help. What will our kind, loving, gentle Jesus do? He will ignore her. At the encouragement of His disciples, He may tell her He has nothing for her and send her away. “Say it isn’t so!” But it is. The story is found in St. Mark 7:24-30. There is more to the story. We eventually see her needs are met. But what can we learn from this story? I would like to paint a different scenario: A young couple returns home with their young son. The wife walks by the l...
Matthew 22: 1-14 I love to tease. I love to see humor in situations. I can be sarcastic and offensive. I think I apply those characteristics to my reading of scripture—just because of the way that I am wired. I don’t take the words literally, but I do try to take them seriously. I think that is Jesus’ way of getting us to look for deeper truths, of challenging us to look for something new, think something new, and ultimately become something new. For example: Have you ever received an invitation to a party that you really did not want to attend...
The Mt. Pleasant Church in Martinsburg is pleased to announce the appointment of Warren Tenley as their interim pastor. Pastor Tenley is ordained by the Christian Leaders Institute, having completed the required educational studies and endorsements of the Ordained Minister Program. He is also a licensed ministry and wedding officiant and holds a diploma of ministry from the Institute. Warren and his wife Deborah have been residents of Martinsburg for the past 16 years. He is a U.S. Army Veteran and is currently a patient advocate and patient...
I think we live in an angry society. Scripture has more than 200 references to anger or its action word “angry”. What is anger? I think we can safely say it is a feeling that arises within one because of a real or perceived hurt or wrong-done, often with a desire to hurt or punish the offender. This is perhaps perfectly natural. But, is it right? A classic verse on the subject is “When you are angry, do not sin, nor let the sun go down while you are still angry.” It would appear God understands...
Thanksgiving is one of those unusual holidays that we look forward to near the end of November. I mentioned that it is unusual because it’s about the only time we think about pilgrims. It is also when families get together mostly in the name of gorging themselves on food. Football games are often watched even if people are not interested in the teams playing. It’s tradition. While there is nothing wrong with some of our Thanksgiving Day traditions, a better tradition would be to make every day a day of giving thanks. Today, as I continue my...
During some of my schooling I worked for a small printing company. We took in more work on any given week than we could handle, and the pressure forged strong bonds and rewarding relationships. Regardless of differences, we all worked with great commitment out of loyalty to the owner whom we all admired. This bonded us tightly in solid relationships, and we spent time together outside of work. We all helped each other to get contracts fulfilled which we were assigned. And the store was successful during that time. On other jobs occasionally I...
Let’s take a look at the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ as focused in Galatians 5:22-23. The first three are love, joy and peace. They reflect personal attributes that benefit others because others rejoice in them. The next three, longsuffering, (patience) gentleness, and peace relate toward others as an individual who is demonstrating them relates to others. I once heard someone explain longsuffering and/or patience as some translations say, attribute longsuffering toward other humans who really test/...
The Central Pennsylvania Bible Conference will conduct its 104th year of ministry during the annual summer session at the Grand Pavilion at Lakemont Park in Altoona on the dates of July 28-August 2. The Bible Conference was established in 1920 and remains the longest continual existing conference of its kind in america. This year’s theme is “Maturing in Christ” studying the book of James. Speakers will include Dr. David Kistler with Hope Ministries International from Hickory, North Carolina and Dr. Wendell Calder with Local Church Evang...
During my elementary school years, I remember having challenges at Sunday School to memorize different parts of the Bible. It was a challenge I gladly accepted because I was fairly good at memorizing, and, for each task completed, we received a different colored star on a chart. That was a good motivation for me. One of the Biblical scriptures we had to memorize was the Ten Commandments. Back then, and now, I have always been struck with the attention given to the keeping of the Sabbath. Four verses are needed to complete this commandment, so I...
My wife and I have enjoyed a little grove of pansies in one of our flowerbeds. This spring they greeted everyone who came to the door with their very happy, colorful faces. They appeared to be intentionally facing the walkway into the house in a friendly way. Truth be told, I believe they were facing that direction because that’s where they got the most light. Without any light, plants eventually die. So it makes sense that our pansy grove was programmed to face the light. But that makes me think that sometimes pansies are more intelligent than...
“Awaken” Bedford County Tent Revival Awaken Bedford County Tent Revival is happening on August 9 and 10 at the Southern Cove Power Reunion Grounds. The address is 145 Cave Road, New Enterprise, PA. Gates will open at 9 a.m. and the first service begins at 10 a.m. They will break for lunch and resume at 6 p.m. for the evening service. People can come early and visit concessions such as the Coffee Coop, Hostetler’s and Snowball Dreams. Sit and eat and enjoy live music on Saturday evening by the band Righteous Now. Speakers for Friday are Pasto...
I’ll try to focus this ‘Thought’ on those of my peers who are say, sixty plus years of age. St. John 15, encourages us to bear fruit for God. There is no ‘statute of limitations’ on this. God still expects us to bear fruit even in old age. What do we need to do to accomplish this? Number 1: we need to be close to God, firmly attached to Him and allowing Him to live in us and rule our lives. I have illustrated this close connection by likening it to electricity. A loose or faulty connectio...
Newry Lutheran Church to distribute bags of food Newry Lutheran Church, 1030 Shamrock Ln., will distribute bags of food from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 27, in the church social hall. The “Meal in a Bag” will contain enough food to prepare dinner for a family. Bags will be distributed while supplies last at no charge; no income guidelines exist to receive the bag of nonperishable food items. Bags are distributed monthly on the last Saturday of each month. The Meal in a Bag program is a social ministry initiative of Newry Lutheran Chu...
Imagine having said something so profound or interesting that your quote could be found in a book or online. Imagine having pastors share your quote or people repeating it around the world. As I continue my series on quotes, I am grateful for ones who have had good insights on heaven. That will be my focus today. I’ve mentioned before that I have quoted Billy Graham in funerals. As a hospice chaplain I often point people towards heaven. It is easy to want to hold on to this life and enjoy the blessings of earth. But certainly, as I get o...
A woman named Amanda who had suffered a miscarriage wrote an article in which she described the dark time in her life that resulted from that loss. As the article unfolded, it became clear that it was not really about darkness, but about the light that she found as she dealt with the heavy grief that overtook her. Here are some of the things she shared. From Genesis 1 she was reminded that God creates, and that what He made on each day of creation was good. This basic truth seemed to serve as ballast for her as she was tossed about by powerful...
I think I would like to focus this ‘Thought’ on those of my peers who are say, sixty plus years of age. We may have aches, pains, recognize we can no longer do the things we once could, true. Still we should be and can be producing good fruit. Scriptures speak of fruit in several places. I think primarily of Galatians chapter five and St. John chapter fifteen. We might add a fruit not mentioned in either of these two Scriptural passages: That is the fruit of ‘thankfulness’. It is easy to focus on the things we see as “wrong” and not be than...
Romans 12:9-21 Throughout the last few months the Bible study group at my home church has been delving into the book of Romans, Paul’s letter to the people in Rome. Paul has a unique way of getting his words across to the people. He spent much of his time in prison but never let that circumstance be a deterrent to his spreading the good news of his savior. In reading these words we read today, Paul emphasizes the ways in which a faithful follower of Christ lives out and expresses the unmerited grace of God in his/her own life. Since studying th...
Albright Church of the Brethren at 1245 Bloomfield Rd, Roaring Spring will be having their vacation bible school from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday, July 7, through Thursday, July 11, excluding Tuesday, July 9 because of the Ag Parade in Martinsburg. The theme will be The Great Jungle Journey. Every day, kids are bombarded with questions: Did God really create everything? Why do bad things happen? Was Noah’s ark real? Why do I need to be saved? Can I trust the Bible? At this VBS, kids will explore the biblical answers to these questions as they s...
Independence is a tricky concept. It conjures the idea of being free to do whatever you want to do. But if your imagination and desires are tainted in a way which keep you from pursuing what is truly good and beautiful and true – specifically what is good and beautiful and true and of a quality that can satisfy a person forever, then the freedom to do whatever you want, to chase whatever deep impulses well up inside of you, would actually be a form of slavery since you are not able to grasp what is good, beautiful and true when measured on a...
Perhaps you have heard someone say, "I'd like to go back to the 'Good Ol' Days". Maybe you have even said it yourself. Of course it really cannot be done and we have no idea how far they would like to go back. We could replicate some of the things from the past: i.e. going to the 'outhouse' on a ninety degree day and enduring the swelter and stench or on a 15 degree day and brushing a skiff of snow off the seat before occupying it. You could turn off heat in the winter and have no heat in your b...
I will keep this column on summer quotes brief because I am writing these words on the eve of my summer vacation, and I have not finished packing. I have often started writing and had the goal of writing a less verbose article as a treat for my readers. As you know, it seldom happens. I start thinking and typing and next thing I know, many words have flown by. Summer and life in general are the same way – fleeting. Years ago, there was a movie musical titled “In the Good Old Summertime.” You may know the tune to the title song. There is somethi...
Recently I was reading through the book of Judges and came across the story of Samson, one of the people God raised up to deliver His covenant people from oppressors in turbulent times. Samson was an unprincipled fellow. His parents were informed before his birth that he had a special calling and were given principles by which Samson was to live. Instead of reserving himself for God’s calling, he chased after what his eyes found attractive but did not fit within God’s principles, and he brought terrible ruin on himself. Have you ever heard of t...
Can you hear Jesus calling to you? He does, in St. Matthew 11:28-30. “Come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jesus said that in the course of His regular teaching both His disciples and the crowds that followed Him. I would like to think He echoed it while He hung, dying on the cross. He certainly nev...
Have you ever sat in church and not noticed the beautiful windows or the doors? You haven’t seen the rich wood or the altar area? Have you felt you didn’t need a pew because your eyes are fixed on God, your knees on the floor? I remember a pastor from when I was a young woman who always removed her shoes before giving her sermon because she felt she stood on hallowed ground. We all do. This phrase is a request. Hallowed be your name—we are praying that God do whatever it takes to be holy in our loves. Exalt yourself, magnify yourself. You b...
Can you recall watching a toddler absolutely wreck a room while the parents laughed at how “cute” the behavior was? You might have been highly irritated, feeling sure you would not allow such wild behavior in your own child. The child could grow up to be an undisciplined, out-of-control monster! That scenario seems like a fitting analogy for what Satan was enticing Jesus to become in the second of the temptations recorded in Matthew 4. Satan wanted Jesus to pull off a wild stunt, jumping off the highest pinnacle of the temple in front of cro...
I don’t know if there is such a thing but having lived in farming county all my life I can understand there could be. If you have ever seen a young calf separated from its mother, you understand the calf will do a lot of bawling. It misses its mother and wants to be with her. So, it bawls (calls out in its own language) for her to come and rescue it from its distress and lonely condition. It is hard to distract a calf from doing this. Actually, I suppose many young animals experience the same t...
As a pastor and one who likes culture and history, I have always been somewhat of a quote guy. I have used quotes in my sermons and writings and think that wisdom can be found in things that others have said, even if we don’t always agree with them or they do not come from a Christian perspective. I have learned that online one can’t always count on the accuracy or reliability of quotes. Some famous quotes are actually “misquotes”. Unfortunately, it’s kind of difficult to know which is which. Today I begin a series where I will look at some q...
People have written some difficult and challenging prayers over the years. For example, a British fellow in the 1800’s named Thomas Arnold prayed – “Gracious Father, be pleased to touch our hearts in time with trouble, with sorrow, with sickness, with disappointment, with anything that may hinder them from being hard to the end, and leading us to eternal ruin.” And John Wesley from the 1700’s prayed “Lord God . . . let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you . . . .” Why do I classify these prayers...
You likely have seen a sign such as my title displayed at a doorway or gate. There is a purpose for this. Only certain people are allowed to pass through the entrance. All others are kept out. You must have a proof of who you are and that you are one of those allowed entrance before you can enter. To try to gain entrance without the proper I.D. means you will be barred from entry. When you display your identification, the guard checks it against his list. If your identification matches what is...
The moment we become conscious that we are no longer young, we become a valuable resource to others in our lives. We know that life is to be shaped, not merely endured. In our world where it seems that what a person produces is key to who they are, where function is central, there is a subtle but clear social stigma that comes with growing older. When physical strength declines in a society that prizes physical activity, the spiritual values that come with the passage of time are easily slighted as well. It can be a frantic time, maybe a little...
Months ago in Kenya our van driver told us there was a lion laying in the tall grass along the road. We couldn’t see it. It took help from the guide, but then its face became clear. Someone on foot would have walked right up on it. 1 Peter 5:8 warns Christians, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Satan is out to destroy the faith of God’s people and mar as much as possible the reflection of God’s glory in us who were made in His image, murdering souls. Matthew 4:...
Fidel Castro, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin. What do these men have in common? Each was a leader. We may not have liked them or their leadership, but people followed them. Like it or not, people need leaders. Scripture talks about people being like sheep and needing a shepherd. You may already be tired of hearing political rhetoric. This ‘Thought’ won’t be that. Israel had some great leaders. Styles were different but to some degree, many leaders were successful. Moses may have been the great...
Recently after preaching in my church, someone I never met before approached me. She thanked me for the message and told me that she reads my columns faithfully and appreciates them. I thanked her heartily because our brief exchange was a real blessing to me. In a sense, she was bringing glory to my name even though I didn’t understand how she even knew my name or who I was. There are people in the world and godless nations who, at this point, may not know the name of Jesus. They do not acknowledge God the Father or the Holy Spirit, but one d...
When our family returned from a trip to Kenya and presented our report to our church family and friends, the part where we described the neediness of children caused an audible, collective groan. We spoke briefly of the lack of food and medicine and clothing, and those facts really grabbed some people, to the point they wanted to contribute to meeting at least the needs of one or two children. Driving through the Cove in the weeks immediately after our return I didn’t see women carrying sticks to take home in order to make a little fire and c...
Sharon and I have spent a couple of evenings looking at photo albums. She has made a lot of them and we decided it would be a great way to spend our “winding down time”. Some of them feature a member of our family and begin with baby pictures of that person. Some have a lot of empty pages at the back because they are still pretty young. Unfortunately, there are also some that have concluded for we will not see that person again until Heaven. This morning, in our devotional time, I thanked God...
The Sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (John 10:3) Do you ever have days when you feel unimportant? Like no one cares? Bad news outpaces the good? It is easy to get lost in those kinds of thoughts when the ways of the world press in on us. The image of the Good Shepherd always helps me to banish those thoughts. God calls his sheep by name and leads them out. “He knows your name. In fact, your name is written on the hand of God.” (Isaiah 49:16) Your name is on God’s hand and on his l...
Our congregation supports a pastor in a country where being a Christian can prove dangerous. He was recently imprisoned because of hatred from enemies of Jesus. The reports were amazing to hear that even while in prison he was loving people and sharing the good news of forgiveness and new life through the Savior named Jesus. I can’t think of another religion where God gives what He commands. We are commanded by God to be holy, and He gives us Christ who was holy in our place and then died to make us holy. This is the message the pastor p...
