https://youtu.be/3CF2iQ_7ano Six of First Pres’ covenant partners recently returned from a weeklong trip to Englewood, Florida, where they partnered with Samaritan’s Purse to provide cleanup from Hurricane Ian, which devastated parts of Florida during the fall. The...
I have never been a huge fan of Bible-reading plans, those yearlong lists that take you through the entire Bible in a year. Truth be told, I’ve not been a fan because I’ve been so bad at using them. Year after year, I’d pick one out and then get days and weeks behind...
Immanuel means God with us. In the birth of Jesus, God proved that He is indeed with us—but I’ve been thinking about where and how we experience God with us. God is omnipresent, so we can experience His presence anywhere, but I want to highlight three places He is...
If you were to guess, what is the all-time most popular Christmas song in the world? The one that has been translated into more languages than any other? It is a song called the “Magnificat” and it is sung by Mary as recorded in Luke 1:46-55. Now I’ve done multiple...
Imagine ... Sitting at a table with a portion of scripture on one hand and a pen and paper in the other, copying out each word, each line, verse by verse. This is no exercise for a medieval monk cloistered by candlelight in a dark monastery somewhere, but rather...
I am deeply grateful to the Session for sending me on a sabbatical January 1 – March 31, 2023! I have been, and continue to be, called to serve First Pres. as a Pastor, and to give of myself fully to the Lord and to the ministry and mission of this congregation. I am...
Full confession – I am a cry-er. I tear up watching TV and especially when watching movies that are sweet or sappy. I cried tears of joy when the Atlanta Braves won the World Series last year. My mom, who I get this trait from, and I have a rule at funerals: We don’t...
I find it hard to slow down. I really do. It's a hectic world we live in, and I love to stay busy, but it really is important that we slow down at times. It's important that we take time for rest and time to meditate, and one of the ways we can do that is with God's...
The Advent season is a “can’t wait” season. People can’t wait to start listening to Christmas music or to decorate. Some can’t wait to open presents and others can’t wait see presents opened. The “can’t wait” nature of the season is seen in lots of ways, including...
Sunday was our annual Music Sunday worship service, when we hear the Christmas narrative through Scripture and song. Here are some scenes from the day, which also included our annual Christmas-cookie event between the worship services.