Jesus and his followers were Jews, accustomed to worshiping on Saturday, and viewed the Jerusalem Temple as the most holy place. The New Testament tells us that they went to worship on Saturday, and they went to the temple on the major Jewish holidays. And yet, Jesus challenged this concept during his ministry when he […]

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Last week, one of my friends in the Washington DC area posted a photo of a blooming crocus, and wrote “Spring is Springing!” It’s amazing to see these tiny flowers coming out from the ground that early. I could not see the same around my house, I only saw dry trees and yellow grass. So […]

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When I went to seminary education in August 2001, I focused a lot on Biblical and Theological studies attempting to better understand Christ. I had the opportunity to study 140 credit hours (in the USA, it can be 72 credit hours) at the Evangelical [Presbyterian] Theological Seminary in Cairo to finish my M.Div. There I […]

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We know the Christmas story by heart. It includes the birth of Jesus foretold to Mary and Joseph, born in a manger, the shepherds’ visit, the wise men bearing gifts, etc. We depict the elements of these parts in many ways in our homes, churches, and places. And yet, every time we read the gospels […]

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You will be receiving and reading this a few days after Ash Wednesday (February 22) and the “official” beginning of Lent. However, most of Lent remains in front of us as we make our way to Easter on April 9. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – […]

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At a theology conference I attended a couple years ago, the evening’s final speaker was asked to close the day’s proceedings with a Benediction. However, as an academic, not a Pastor, he was unaccustomed to performing this liturgical act, and seemed unprepared and flustered. After a few awkward moments he looked at the audience, paused, […]

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I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in creating a faithful, beautiful, and joyful season at Erwin Presbyterian Church. From the Harvest Festival on November 20 through Worship on Christmas Day, we were blessed with six weeks of excellent worship, events and activities, with the building decorated wonderfully. This doesn’t just happen […]

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The earliest date of Advent is impossible to determine. There’s evidence of Advent-like practices here-and-there by the 4th Century, and by the 5th and 6th Centuries, the Advent season had been established widely. From its earliest days, Advent was regarded as a season for prayer, confession, and reflection on the meaning of Christ’s coming into […]

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It’s easy and perhaps natural for members of a small-membership church like ours to regret or fret about what we lack. And it’s true, of course, a larger church can offer more and different experiences and opportunities than those available at a smaller one. But different doesn’t mean greater or lesser. It simply means there […]

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There’s a well-known bit of wisdom that goes: “Both optimists and pessimists contribute something of value. The optimist invents the airplane, the pessimist the parachute.” It’s not certain who first said this; it’s been attributed to various sources. But the idea that people are “wired” differently, with each at times annoyed and angered by the […]

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