Pray that the failures of your leaders will turn them into compassionate helpers.
Luke 22:31-32
January 30, 2011
Who changed?  (Pastor Paul Cummings)
A few years ago we bought a house.  The best part was that the walls were freshly painted and clean.  Then time began to take its toll with kids writing on the walls, eating chocolate pudding, [...]

Faith is the evidence of words not heard.
Luke 9:28-36
January 23, 2011
The risk of intervention
Today is the third in a series of sermons about the prayers of Jesus.  I’ve told you on a couple of occasions that the sermons were inspired in part by a question that a twelve year old boy asked me.  Today I [...]

One of the privileges of staying in one place as a pastor for a long time (I’ve been here eighteen years) is the longer view of the lives of those one is privileged to shepherd.  Louise Gadd lived 75+ years before I met her, so I hardly experienced all of her story.   But she has [...]

In the immortal words of my wife, 22 degrees is a lot better than 12!  That’s the difference between West Virginia and northern Ohio in January. 
Linda, Kelly Barefoot, and I are on the way home from the annual board meeting of Faithful and Welcoming Churches in Cleveland. 

It is, to say the least, an interesting experience to sit on the “lectern side” in the sanctuary while someone else speaks from the pulpit where I usually preach.  That is especially true when the speaker’s views on faith, politics, and the church differ from your own.