Pastor Tom's Community

          Welcome to the morning! Gloria!Gloria!Kyrie eleison! Lord, have mercy!Have mercy on me.And grant that mercy and graceLike soothing oil and Refreshing waterSweetened by Thy loveShall flow through me intoThe lives of all who come to drink,Of all who come to be renewed.May I be another light,Another window, mirror, conduit,Any metaphor that, materialized,Brings…

  Psalm 69 is the cry of a person who is up to his neck in negative potential. Things could go either way, but all indications are for the worst. Have you been there? Did you come through? So did he. He did so through all the fears, feelings of rejection, taunts, and pain that…

  Life is not fair. Thus goes the lament. Evil people prosper. There is no justice. That is the lament of those who tag it all with this question. '"Why bother?" The psalmist cried this often-cried cry and then, "But when I thought how to understand this,it seemed to me a wearisome task,until I went…

  I had no great thoughts on this year's Superbowl. I watched the first half and it was pretty exciting – a real context. However, I found these note's on last year's event and will apply them, again, to life … every year 1. You can't rest on the laurels of your first half of…

It was a late night several years ago and I recall musing in my journal, " I am burning some late night oil tonight." "It is quiet up here." " am working on last minute things that need attention but also long term goals that often get swept aside." In reality, we tend to decide…

  "Until I entered the temple." There is a phenomenon of point of focus altering our perspective of reality. When the psalmist comes to the temple, his perspective changes. He sees the end of evil and it marks a point of beginning for the righteous. We read out times, feel our pain, embrace the pain…

  I have opinionated friendsNot opinionated fiends.I love them on the right.I love them on the left.That is because they keep me centered.I have opinions too … I pine.I whine.I dine.And I often cross the line …Leaning to the left …Leaning to the right …Silent sometimes … vocal other timesssssssssssssss ….Times. It is about times…

  David would not and could not wear Saul's armor to battle Goliath. He was not Saul. He was not Saul's size. He needed his own garb and his own weapons. When we realize that we are unique, fearfully and wonderfully made people, we will come to be free to be ourselves. We won't try…

  We start each day with hope. At least I do and most positive people I know do the same. There is an occasional "dreaded" day, but it is the exception and is usually combated by positive self-talk and prayer. The rule is that we begin our mornings expecting to exploit our effectiveness and embrace…