The Spirit of God that flows through all life is ultimately indestructible. It is eternal. Nothing can separate us from it.   In the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded that hardship, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword do not have the last word.  “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?   Nothing!” (Romans 8:35a, 38b-39 NRSV)

That is the promise of Easter.
O that we could buy assurance that everything will be easy, but we can respond to the assurance that God gives us. God can see it, can you? It is not to a budget but to the God who will not let us go that we should give, and give regularly and generously. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Thanks be to God!

Rev. Don Thomas

“Life Science” web sites and 1-900 telephone numbers offer forgiveness for a fee. I deplore such commercial exploitation of confessions, but it does underscore the need for forgiveness. The Cross and Resurrection of Christ reveal God’s plan for dealing with sin and forgiveness.

As we approach Holy Week and its special times of worship and reflection, may we renew our relationship with God who loves and forgives the repentant.

I close with a favorite Lenten line: “God formed us; sin deformed us; Christ transforms us.”

Rev. Don Thomas

the phone rang. She turned her head to pick up the phone, when she heard the horrible sound of Chippie being sucked into the vacuum cleaner. Immediately, she put down the phone, ripped open the vacuum bag, and found Chippie stunned, but alive. Since the bird was covered with soot and dust, she grabbed him, ran into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the water to clean him off. When she finished that, she spotted the hairdryer on the bathroom counter. She turned it on and held the bird in front of the blast of hot air to dry him off.

That’s the kind of human interest (or animal interest) story that newspapers like to print once in a while, so they sent a reporter to interview the woman. The reporter concluded the interview by asking, How’s Chippie doing now?”

She replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore. He just sits and stares.”

Any Chippie’s at out there?

 I thank God for all of you who put discipleship into action, who know that a sense of servanthood and mission make us strong. It is a beautiful song of praise to the Lord.

Rev. Don Thomas

Sometimes we in the church are like that middle school band, unsure of our parts, tentative in our roles, reluctant to trumpet forth the music of faith that God desires of us. And that’s because we have trouble deciding what’s most important.

I remember an incident on a hot summer afternoon outside a shopping mall. A friend and I saw a young child in a car seat inside a locked car, in a sleeping posture. Where was the mother? How is the child? She would not rouse to our yelling and beating on the window. It seemed to me a life and death situation. What to do? Mall security arrived. Immediately the opposite side window was smashed to get to the child. She was ok. Were we heroes? Not so. The mother soon arrived and was mad because the window had to be broken. She was just inside a store to exchange clothing. I thought to myself, “What’s more important – this child or a window?’

Most of the choices we make in life are not between what is trivial and what is important. Rather, most of the choices we make are usually between what is important and what is more important.

Sunday by Sunday come join us to hear and receive what is most important – God’s everlasting love in Jesus.

Rev. Don Thomas