Letter from the Pastor

In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle St. Paul talked about a personal problem, which he describes as a “thorn in the flesh.”  No one knows exactly what that was.  It is generally assumed that St. Paul was suffering from some sort of physical malady.  But the only thing we know for sure is that St. Paul had some sort of personal limitation, which he prayed to be rid of, but to no avail; and finally, he had to settle down and learn to live with it. I think that that should strike a responsive chord in the heart […]

                Have you ever noticed that in this world, there are all kinds of things that take hold of us?  Some married couples know what I mean.  When you were very young, you began to hear, and to see, and to learn about love.  In your teens, you began to experiment with it, dating and maybe dating one person steadily.  Then there came a time when you fell in love; and either suddenly or slowly, that love took hold of your life.  Now, you have been married for many years; and you do […]

                 Temptation is often deceptively subtle.  There is a diabolical thing about evil.  It can seem so reasonable, so necessary, even so beautiful.  Some years ago a popular song had a line in it which said, “It can’t be wrong when it seems so right.”  Well, I hate to disappoint some people; but wrong always has a way of appearing right to those who want to do it.                  Evil does not present itself in the form of some grotesque creature with horns, hooves, and a […]

The capacity for doubt is not necessarily a bad thing.  Much of the progress that has been made in the world must be partially attributed to doubt.  Columbus doubted the maps and charts of his day; as a result, the new world was discovered.  The Wright brothers doubted the accepted axiom that ‘heavier than air machinery cannot fly’.  And air travel became a reality.  The ability to question, to wonder, to doubt is one of our noblest capacities.  In a world like ours, there are many things that need to be doubted.  A person would have to be intellectually sterile […]

In his novel entitled The Robe, Lloyd C. Douglas skillfully told the story of the crucifixion of Christ.  One of the central characters in the plot was a Roman military officer named Marcellus.  He was in charge of the small detachment who were chosen to carry out the execution.  Marcellus did not desire the assignment but accepted it with the aloof resignation of a good soldier.  It was his job, and he would do it. But after the dirty deed was done, Marcellus was a haunted man.  He returned to Rome but was unable to escape that day in Jerusalem.  […]