by jbarden | Feb 10, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
Friends, As difficult as it was last week for all of us to endure ice and cold and power outages, destruction to trees and cars and homes, our inconvenience seems to be just that – an inconvenience – when we hear stories of the devastation in Turkey and Syria, the...
by jbarden | Feb 1, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
“Blessed are those who….” This past Sunday we reflected on the Beatitudes from Matthew’s gospel, and focused on the practices we are called to pursue, if we are to be faithful followers of Jesus, and if we want to help usher in God’s vision of the Beloved Community....
by jbarden | Jan 28, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
In 1985, well-known preacher Robert Schuller published a book titled, “The Be Happy Attitudes: Eight Positive Attitudes that can Transform Your Life.” On Amazon, this description is offered: “In a society of quick fixes and instant gratification, it seems as though...
by jbarden | Jan 21, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
Friends, Two short quotes kept popping up in front of me from different sources this week. The first quote is from Rupertus Meldenius, a German Lutheran theologian from the early 17th century. Writing to his colleagues during the Great Reformation, he offered this...
by jbarden | Jan 11, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
It’s time to talk about COVID and worship again! As much as I loathe typing that sentence, it has to be done. Here in Travis County, the ‘risk level’ for COVID has risen from low to medium. According to the risk-based guidelines posted by Travis County, their...
