celebrate

Thanks be to God! Churches throughout the Madison area are co-hosting a fourth annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on Monday, November 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish on Owen Drive. The service will begin with a 6:15 pm prelude and include members of the Catholic, Evangelical, and mainline Protestant communities. The event offers an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving by praising God for our many blessings, celebrating what we share in common in Christ and supporting those among us in need. Nonperishable items and cash contributions will be collected for area food pantries. Everyone is invited and…

But the father wasn’t listening. — Luke 15:22 The MessageTo me, this is one of the most moving moments in all of scripture. The prodigal son had ruined his life. He was returning home, a failure for all to see. When he met his father, he was begging not for his rights as son to be restored — he knew he could never dare ask for that — but rather that he might be taken on as a hired hand.But the father wasn’t listening. Eugene Peterson in his paraphrase The Message, captures the spirit of this verse so well with…

Little by little I will drive them out before you … — Exodus 23:30Thank God for small miracles.As many of you know, most of my life I’ve been terrified of dogs. Exactly why, I don’t know. My mind can tell me that most dogs are friendly; that you can survive a dog bite; that very few dogs are really dangerous; that if you aren’t afraid of them, they will most likely leave you alone; and so on. But all of those pep talks disappeared whenever I got into the presence of a barking dog. Instead, I froze, paralyzed by fear.Over…