Pastor Tom's Community

Unlike most of us, God never turns His head to avoid looking at the unpleasantness of the poor, the ugliness of the broken, or the raw pain of the oppressed. He gazes into the eyes of the disenfranchised and hears the cry that they utter. Perhaps our greatest opportunity to reflect God's presence to the…

I am making this Stephen Foster Memorial Day to commemorate the day he died in 1864. What sad and beautiful songs he wrote. Foster died tragically from accident, suicide, or some other trauma that left him bleeding from the neck at the age of 37. None can know what he would have become or how…

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong…

Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash Mighty God lifts humble humanity. All knowing and poly-focused Sovereign lifts the lowly. God of all sufficiency and no need cares to rectify injustice. LORD of creation, whose thoughts are beyond our thoughts …. Knows and enters into our thinking to reveal as much of Himself as … As…

Radical Amazement Abraham Joshua Heschel Born this day in 1907 – Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish-American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1972).     Quotes from WikiQuote The time for the kingdom may be far off, but the task is plain: to retain our share in God in spite of peril and contempt. There is a…

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (Revelation 3:2)  Harry was discouraged. He fostered such high hopes for progress when he began his life of discipleship. Along the way, he had not met all of his goals. He had…

<iframe   On this day in 1889 – Herman Hollerith is issued US patent #395,791 for the 'Art of Applying Statistics' — his punched card calculator https://www.ibm.com/…/builders/builders_hollerith.html https://www.ibm.com/…/vintage/vintage_4506VV2027.html http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/hollerith.html http://www.columbia.edu/…/computi…/census-tabulator.html On this day in 1926 – Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuỵ is crowned king of Vietnam, the country's last monarch. He was also known…

On this day in 1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a "War on Poverty" in the United States. Johnson, a Roosevelt "New Dealer," envisioned a Great Society that would be sparked by local activists and initiatives, especially young adults who would be activated in cities through programs such as VISTA. In fact, the legacy…

The Word Became Flesh and We Beheld John 1:1-18 (NRSVU   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He  was in the beginning with God.  All  things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into…