The air was thick with tension, but our hearts brimmed with hopeful optimism. Our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers had fought a tough game against their arch-rivals the Baltimore Ravens. Now the game was coming down to a doable 42-yard field goal attempt for the Pittsburgh win. The Steelers began to line up, but then ding-dong–our doorbell […]
This is the second of three guest blog posts by Gary Buterbaugh. Have you ever heard of being plutoed? We’re not talking about Pluto the proper noun, but the verb to pluto—the American Dialect Society’s 2006 word of the year. Many of you probably remember learning about Pluto as the ninth planet in your grade […]
I am pleased to say that for the next 2-3 weeks I will have my first guest blogger! Gary has been a friend for over 20 years and he brings a real and personal perspective to our recent dialogue about homosexuality and the Christian faith. I am a retired college professor. I have always been […]
We hear it all the time—obesity is a leading cause of health problems in our day. The experts tell us to shed the pounds, but everywhere we turn we’re bombarded with messages to the contrary. “Eat!” they tell us. “Our sumptuous treats will make your life full and complete!” I’m not saying that physical weight […]
Like many of you, on New Year’s Eve I watched a ball slide down a pole to commemorate the end of the old and the beginning of the new. Or perhaps you participated in a ceremony that was somewhat more creative. In Atlanta it was a peach instead of a disco ball. But Pennsylvania towns […]
One of the interesting things about trying to teach the principles of Christianity is that God requires us to actually live out what we are encouraging others to do. Go figure! In light of this, I was recently challenged to extend forgiveness in a situation where I had been unjustly treated. Painful? Yes. Beneficial? Absolutely! […]
I admit that I am a contributor to global warming (in part simply because I continue to exist!). Sometimes, on a cold snowy December night, I will take the long way home so that I can enjoy those energy sucking Christmas lights. There is just something about colored bulbs under a light coating of snow […]
By only the 6th generation of descendants, mankind had fallen far from the pristine peace and beauty of the Garden of Eden. Lamech spurned the sanctity of the marriage covenant by taking two wives and in a vengeful act killed a young man for striking him. Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, Listen […]
Most of us have probably prayed the Lord’s Prayer at one time or another. Seriously now, did you really mean what you were praying? . . . and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. . . For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. […]
When I was somewhat younger a local pastor committed a sexual sin with a member of his congregation. It was not a good situation, but the church leadership didn’t seem to be doing much about the issue. He was a gifted leader and much of the growth of the church had been built upon his […]
