by Pastor Jay Shailer

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.'”

–Matthew 3:1-3

Have you ever been walking down the street and were bombarded by a street preacher? There used to be one that set up with a bullhorn on Main St. in Bexley, Ohio, right in front of Capital University, Read more…

by Joyce Singer

1 Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

–Isaiah 40:1-5
Read more…

by Larry Hoffsis

For about forty years he (God) put up with them in the wilderness.

–Acts 13:18

I was struck by two words that Paul used as he told the story of God’s saving activity people-Israel. Those two words are “put” and “up.” Used together in a variety of combinations they bring us important messages.

“Put up with...” Used like that, these two words signal the value of patience. To think that God is willing to “put up with” us is humbling. Indeed God’s patience with Israel’s complaining was not marked by his counting to ten, but to forty… years!
Paul commended patience as an asset for us. “…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.” (Col 3:12)

Read more…

by Anastasia Rodgers

1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.

–Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
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by Bob Ransbottom

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side…then the flood would have swept us away.

–Psalm 124:1a, 3a

This is like the days of Noah to me: Just as I swore the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth…but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.

–Isaiah 54:9a, 10b

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

–Matthew 24:35
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by Claudette Malloy

So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. And every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families.

–Genesis 8:18-19

Thanksgiving is behind us and we now join as a church family in celebration of the Advent season. The composition of my family has changed through the years due to births and deaths, weddings and divorce, illnesses and times of good health, tears and times of rejoicing. Many of my memories of this season involve my family.
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by Pastor Charlie Woodward

Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

 

–Isaiah 2:3-4
Read more…

I remember summer nights in my neighborhood when I was a child, waiting until it got dark enough to play Hide and Seek, or variations of that game – Kick the Can or Ghost in the Graveyard…I imagine there are others you can remember, too. The game always had the same premise – someone is “IT” and the others kids would hide and try not to be found and/or caught by the “IT” person. Each round began with the person who is “IT” closing his or her eyes and counting to 100 (the extent of our math review studies during summer vacation). When the magical number of 100 was reached, “IT” would say, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Ready or not, here I come!”