Where’s your happy place? The beach on a warm summer day? A quiet spot at the coffeeshop where you can read uninterrupted? A party where the conversation and food are flowing? The Washington Post recently analyzed some data about where people are most happy, and the...
The one New Year’s resolution that should be on your list
Looking for the best New Year's resolution of them all? The Apostle Paul already wrote it: "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." That's what he told the church at Corinth in one of his more pointed letters....
How a Bible-reading plan can transform your spiritual growth
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...
Taking in and writing scripture, a sentence at a time
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...
The most musical Sunday of the year
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.
Who put that Bible in your hotel room, and why?
Your first introduction to the Gideons was likely in a hotel room during your travels as you noticed a Bible placed in the room by the international group. We asked Russ Lawrence, a First Pres covenant partner who volunteers with Gideons, to share more about the...
God helped him forgive his bullies and find a voice. Here’s how.
Scott Dove, one of First Pres' commissioned lay pastors and a deacon, recently shared his faith story on the podcast "What Are We Even Doing Here?" with Daryl Updike. "From being bullied as a quiet kid, to now preaching the Word of God in a few different churches, I...
Why study the Psalms?
by Mary Duryea Why select Psalms, with 150 chapters, when there are 66 books to choose from, for a brief six-week study? That question echoed in my head as I kept coming back to the decision. It made much more sense to select a short book and do the whole thing....
A prayer of lament and grief for Bridgewater
Our community has suffered a great loss after an act of violence took the lives of a Bridgewater College police officer and a security officer. Today, we are praying this prayer as we mourn and lament. We awake today, Lord, wishing it was a bad dream. But the...
Wordle and Jesus: An online word game and sharing Jesus
Raise your hand if you’ve played Wordle. Better yet, hit share and show us your squares. For those who haven’t gotten on board the global word craze, Wordle is an online word game that gives you six chances to guess a five letter word, with hints along the way about...