Pastor Tom's Community

There are costs to following Jesus and excuses for not doing so. Everything of value costs something. We can think of endless excuses to procrastinate, obstinate, and prevaricate. We'll do anything but drop whatever we are doing and change directions. It is a control issue – we want to be in control. Mostly, we want…

If Jesus needed something, I probably need it too. He needed to check in with His Father and deal with whatever was working in and on Him. He needed it often. Sometimes, He needed it spontaneously. Frequently, He needed it in little slots of time between interruptions. He did not always get seclusion and solitude,…

I am a fool who has found a bit of precious wisdom and that wisdom has transformed me. It is Day seven of the season of reflection. Let us not become so reflective that we fool ourselves into thinking we are wise in our ingenuity. You can read ot listen here and gain more than…

Listen to the Daily Office for the 6th day of Lent here or read it here. To reflect on the whole, one would conclude with tentative reluctance, that the real, raw truth is that we cannot count on anyone including ourselves. We walk, we share, we talk, we stare and those around us are prone…

It is the fifth day of Lent, the lengthening of days, and this is a long one. It is literally later than you may think if you did not adjust your clocks. It is always later than we think if we do not adjust our lives to God. If we think we are  too bust…

We are not blind to the complexities of our lives and surroundings. We are not naive about how difficult this world and this life can be. I dislike the disrespect afforded Pollyana because she was not as pollyanaish as she has been characterized. She was an optimist who played the "Glad game" until it was…

Our readings for this morning were from the ESV on their Daily Office Page - Day 519. We have some cause for regret. It is not what has been done on our behalf or to us that has corrupted us. It is what we have done. We have not bowed down before God, acknowledged God, nor…

The Readings and My Comments for the Second Day of Lent My comments will be in italics. I will call them Take Aways and you will be encouraged to consider and add your own. Psalm 27 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of…

The scriptures indict me today.  You can read them here. Psalm 5 reminds me, as does Psalm 147, of the greatness of God and, at the same time, of my own sinful pride. My haughtiness is brought low in view of His holiness. I identify with the psalmist this morning, that I can only approach…