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Posts with the category “from-the-pastor”

In all things…
by Pastor Anita on March 12th, 2024
Four years ago…Reports splashed across our news feeds of a deadly virus that was rapidly infecting the nation. For days, the news media depicted the spread with maps dotted in red showing the virus quickly reaching epidemic levels- the East coast its last and certain target. As a pastor, I was on my knees for wisdom. Should Lenape Valley Church close our doors to protect our people from the potent...  Read More
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Retirement is the New Opportunity
by Pastor Anita on March 5th, 2024
The news came as no surprise… a bittersweet moment for every Philadelphian who loves the game. Yesterday, Jason Kelce announced his retirement after 13 years as the Center for the Philadelphia Eagles. Thirteen years, two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl championship, six first team All Pro selections, Kelce ended his career with 156 consecutive starts earning him the Iron Man record for the...  Read More
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In a world where you can be anything… be kind
by Pastor Anita on February 27th, 2024
CBS- the initials not of a TV station, but of a brilliant young man… a Yale educated AllAmerican lacrosse player who went on to be a successful day trader on Wall Street. The demands of his day job never kept him from answering a text or making a call. His friends knew that he cared, that he would always put the need of another first. When an infection threatened to take his life, it was my privi...  Read More
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Salty Footsteps
by Pastor Anita on February 20th, 2024
A confession… Sunday morning, I was in a rush… so many last-minute details to refine before worship. I am a perfectionist in a business that defies perfection, yet that does not prevent me from rushing into the church building early on Sunday morning to attempt the impossible. In the front door, through the lobby, down the hall, and into my office… I dumped my briefcase, purse, and assorted suppli...  Read More
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LENT
by Pastor Anita on February 15th, 2024
It’s that time again… but what does Lent really mean?Lent is the season in the church calendar that calls believers to prepare heart and mind for the embrace of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his Easter victory. Since the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, the practice of honoring a 40-day period of fasting and prayer has been a part of the Christian tradition for many believers. That 40-day discip...  Read More
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The Bowl
by Pastor Anita on February 6th, 2024
What’s in a bowl? This morning my bowl held Corn Chex swimming in cold milk. Hopefully for lunch my bowl will hold some hot soup to ward off the chill of the day. And tonight, my bowl will contain a simple salad dressed in a garlic vinaigrette. Friday, our granddaughters are coming for a sleep-over party, so my bowl will be a part of a cooking adventure that is more sweet than healthy. Webster’s D...  Read More
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Danger of the Single Story
by Pastor Anita on January 30th, 2024
Consider the danger of the single story… In 2009, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a TED Talk on the “danger of a single story.” It has become one of the most watched TED Talks in history with over 35 million views. Adichie grew up on the campus of a Nigerian University where her father was a professor and her mother a university administrator. At the age of 19 she moved to Philadelph...  Read More
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For Glory--- For God
by Pastor Anita on January 23rd, 2024
If you are an Eagles’ fan, this season had a painful end leaving many of us a bit disheartened. But if you love the game, there is still much excitement to enjoy as teams vie for football glory. Last weekend offered us two blow-outs and two fierce battles. While you may have nodded off while the Ravens trounced the Texans, and again when the Lions showed the Buccaneers the door, the Packers-49ers ...  Read More
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Crowd Mentality
by Pastor Anita on January 18th, 2024
What do Iowa caucuses… Buffalo football… NY City Christmas lights… and Taylor Swift have in common? Curious?Consider the case of those Iowa caucuses…Those of us who vote in a primary state… who want to get in and out as quickly as possible… who walk past those who are campaigning at the poll site refusing to listen because we have ‘already decided’… and truth be told would choose to stay home and ...  Read More
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The Final Scene…
by Pastor Anita on January 9th, 2024
Jeremiah is often called 'the weeping prophet' because the devastation of God's chosen people was so painful to him. Jeremiah and his people wept as victims of hate, but what do we do if our hand has touched the sword? In the complexity of the world today, am I victim… or perpetrator… or mere spectator of the horror? And if spectator, have I no place in God’s plan for the redemption of this world?...  Read More
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Children of the Light
by Pastor Anita on January 2nd, 2024
In Him was life, and that life was the light of all. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 I love Christmas lights…I know for many of you, January 2nd is a little late to make that declaration, but I can’t help myself. I just love Christmas lights! I love understated homes that are decorated with warm, white lights gently draped across their bushes and...  Read More
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ReSounding…
by Pastor Anita on December 19th, 2023
Have you ever seen someone yawn… not just a little catch of air… but one of those deep, face-contorting yaaaaaaawns that defies you to look away? Do you chuckle inside as you observe that long draw of air and hear the little squeak at the end of the yawn? You wonder… have the demands of that last-minute Christmas list robbed her of sleep… or perhaps, like too many of us, the concerns of the day ha...  Read More
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All I Want for Christmas…
by Pastor Anita on December 12th, 2023
We learned years ago that presents come and go, but a shared experience can last a lifetime. That realization came to us when our children reached their teens. Suddenly, birthday and Christmas shopping became a nightmare of teenage whims and social expectations that we seldom navigated with success. Presents offered by well-meaning parents were often met with disdain, or worse yet indifference, le...  Read More
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Have you heard hoofbeats?
by Pastor Anita on December 5th, 2023
Several years ago, my mother-in-law invited the family on a Disney cruise to celebrate her 80th birthday. Grandmother Bell was the matriarch of a rather large family- 10 children, with accompanying spouses, and 30 grandchildren. Her birthday was always a big event, so most of the family gladly joined in a week-long celebration on the cruise. Dinners were lively with boisterous laughter from our co...  Read More
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Considering Others
by Pastor Anita on November 28th, 2023
Today, in the afterglow of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for the faithful witness of our mission partner, Bruce Main. In 1988, God inspired Bruce Main and Tony Campolo to begin an outreach to the children of Camden, NJ. Thirty-five years later, Urban Promise impacts the lives of hundreds of children from preschool to young adult, with a thriving school, after school and summer programs, leadership t...  Read More
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Rosalynn Carter
by Pastor Anita on November 21st, 2023
The tributes are pouring in for First Lady Rosalynn Carter, wife of the 39th President of the United States. Born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith on August 18, 1927, in Plains, GA, she married her childhood sweetheart when she was just 18 years old. For 77 years, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter lived together, worshipped together, and worked together. Rosalynn was never just the ‘wife of,’ living in the shadow o...  Read More
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Soli Deo Gloria
by Pastor Anita on November 14th, 2023
We have all received the invitation in the mail… to an event intended to raise funds for a worthy cause. Perhaps one of the earliest such invitations was sent by King David almost 1000 years before the birth of Jesus. He called the leaders of Israel to the palace, treated them to a feast, and then invited them to invest in the building of a Temple to honor Yahweh. The funds raised that evening gav...  Read More
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A day in the life…
by Pastor Anita on November 7th, 2023
Lenape Valley was hopping this weekend… It all began on Friday night when our GrandFamilies gathered to enjoy a meal and share the challenge and joy of raising grandchildren. I am thankful for Beth Jester’s vision and leadership that creates a safe-haven for these families. When I arrived at the church mid-morning on Saturday, the New Britain Car Show was already in full swing. Classic and vintage...  Read More
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All Hallows…
by Pastor Anita on October 31st, 2023
As I write, a snuggly Ewok from Star Wars, and a bookish Belle fresh from her dance with the Beast, and Winnie the Pooh’s mopey friend Eeyore are getting ready for a stroll through the neighborhood in search of candy. Sound familiar? Every year we send our children out like beggars vying for sweets to pack in their lunches. When I was a child, my brothers and I competed with each other, not for th...  Read More
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When Life Happens…
by Pastor Anita on October 24th, 2023
I am a planner… most would call me Type-A, and not always as a compliment. I concentrate on the details, believing that success, and often beauty, is found in the details. Imagine what happened in my mind when our daughter and now son-in-law announced their engagement… a list immediately formed. This wedding would be one year in the planning, but a lifetime in the dreaming. This occasion would dra...  Read More
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Let the little children come…
by Pastor Anita on October 17th, 2023
We picture the scene of Jesus surrounded by little ones, some cradled in his lap. The disciples want to dismiss the children as interruptions, but Jesus insists that they are ‘precious in his sight.’ That’s the ‘what a friend we have in Jesus’ image we all love. We want to imagine that we, too, are among the little ones he welcomes. Now picture the scenes that have flashed across our TVs and inter...  Read More
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The Holy Land at WAR
by Pastor Anita on October 10th, 2023
Before sunrise on Saturday, terror from land, sea and sky rained down on Israel. This surprise attack happened at the end of the seven-day Jewish celebration of Sukkoth that commemorates God’s protection of Israel as they fled slavery in Egypt 3000 years ago. Families were gathered to enjoy the holiday when air raid sirens sounded to warn of an attack. As 1000s of missiles were launched into Isra...  Read More
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The two shall be one…
by Pastor Anita on October 3rd, 2023
I witnessed a miracle on Saturday… a miracle I have dreamed about for years. I have witnessed this miracle again and again, for the last 40 years. Yet, to stand in the chancel of All Saints Church as both mother and pastor, I was overwhelmed with God’s gift. Many marvel at Jesus’ first miracle in turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana, but that miracle pales in comparison to the union of h...  Read More
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Gospel According to Disney
by Pastor Anita on September 26th, 2023
Greetings from sunny southern California! I have spent the last two days enjoying all things Disney… well, maybe not the roller coasters… but so much more... The Bells know how to make the most of a Disney adventure! I know you thought I was in California for our daughter’s wedding. But first we plan to experience some of what our daughter loves about her new home. We will hike the mountains, expl...  Read More
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Wedding Trends
by Pastor Anita on September 19th, 2023
Weddings…I have been paying attention to weddings these days… Granted, I have always been intrigued. I will stop to watch a wedding party as they pose for pictures, staying quietly on the fringe, hoping they won’t notice as I take in the styles and colors and flowers… and the joy. Seeing the beginning is captivating, so I have always been a sucker for a good wedding. But recently, planning our dau...  Read More
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9/11 by the Numbers
by Pastor Anita on September 12th, 2023
We all know the story…On the morning of September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked commercial passenger planes, turning those planes into weapons of war against the United States. That story… our story… often is reduced to a study in numbers. 4 planes involved in the attack 2 planes flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center 1 plane flown into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. 1 pla...  Read More
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Protestant Work Ethic vs. Grace
by Pastor Anita on September 5th, 2023
Make a joyful noise…Psalm 100 opens with this iconic phrase that has excused many a poor rendition of Christian music, celebrating heart over excellence of presentation. Noise… ‘Noise’ is the call of the people of God, yet Webster defines ‘noise’ as a sound that lacks an agreeable quality or is noticeably loud or unpleasant. It is hard to reconcile ‘noise’ with a joyful celebration of the people o...  Read More
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Dreams...
by Pastor Anita on August 29th, 2023
On Sunday, the dreams of 14 boys came true as the El Segundo Little League team won the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. They won in dramatic fashion with Louis Lappe hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the final 6th inning to beat Curaco 6-5. Monday, the town of El Segundo, CA turned out to cheer their young champions- 1000s lining the streets of their quiet little borough...  Read More
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Finger Pointing and Name Calling
by Pastor Anita on August 22nd, 2023
When I was growing up my mom taught me that finger pointing and name calling was not polite. Such behavior would result in time in my room to think about my rude and thoughtless actions. I would imagine that you learned the same lesson as a child. But in today’s world, finger pointing and name calling have become the practice of the day. Please excuse me while I call a few names to make my point. ...  Read More
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Lahaina Church Finds Sanctuary in a Café
by Pastor Anita on August 15th, 2023
On Sunday, as congregations across the nation gathered in the comfort of their sanctuaries, the faith community of Grace Baptist Church met upstairs at the Maui Coffee Attic. Their Robin’s Egg Blue church, that sat beneath mango trees, is now gone; the trees scarred by the fire that raged across Lahaina last Tuesday. In times of crisis- tsunami warnings, hurricanes, fires- Grace Baptist Church has...  Read More
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Everyone Loves a Winner
by Pastor Anita on August 8th, 2023
Certainly, this line can be said of Philadelphia. We love our teams when they win and are famous for ‘booing’ our teams when they lose. Case in point, Trea Truner, our new shortstop and star hitter- or at least that is why we signed Turner to a 11-year, $300 million deal! Turner is a two-time All-Star with impressive stats that helped to take the Nationals to a World Series win in 2019. He won the...  Read More
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Can we talk about it?
by Pastor Anita on August 1st, 2023
How’s the weather?...That question has been the start of many a friendly conversation. Back in the day, talk about the weather was considered simple, polite, safe, even entertaining. How many of us have made jokes about our local meteorologist’s missed predictions about the weather? Now that they have tools like Doppler radar making their predictions more accurate, we find amusement in how dramati...  Read More
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Unsung Heroes
by Pastor Anita on July 25th, 2023
Tony Bennet died last week…Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, in Astoria, New York, Tony began his career as a singing waiter in Queens. From those humble beginnings, he developed a career that spanned six decades, earning 41 Grammy nominations, and winning 19 Grammy Awards. He will forever be known for: “Rags to Riches”, “Stranger in Paradise”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Put on a Happ...  Read More
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Let the little children come…
by Pastor Anita on July 18th, 2023
And they did!... Sunday night, the sounds of children echoed through the halls of Lenape Valley. Vacation Bible School blasted off with a family event, complete with face painting, bubbles, games, crafts, snacks and just some good oldfashioned fun! What a delight to see families enjoying an evening together. Those moments are hard to find in our busy world. The craft ladies helped our children tra...  Read More
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Do you see the Whole Picture?
by Pastor Anita on July 11th, 2023
What do you see in this famous optical illusion- an old woman’s profile or a young woman looking away? Many of us have played this game and know the fun of experiencing what psychologists call the ‘gestalt switch’ when your eyes suddenly see a second image emerging from the first. The young woman’s chin becomes the older woman’s nose, the older woman’s chin becomes the young woman’s neckline, the ...  Read More
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Declaration of (In)Dependence
by Pastor Anita on July 5th, 2023
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of t...  Read More
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Fast- Slow
by Pastor Anita on June 27th, 2023
Confession time…I don’t know how to slow down. My family would tell you that I can’t ‘just sit.’ I must be doing something… always something. There is always something to do… there is always something that I ‘need’ to do. Or at least that’s how it feels. I have been moving at a fast pace through life as long as I can remember. I am not complaining mind you, just confessing. Most of the time, I lik...  Read More
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Can AI Preach?
by Pastor Anita on June 20th, 2023
Can AI preach? The question was asked and answered at a church conference held in Bavaria, Germany this month- (Deutscher Evangelischer Krichentag- German Evangelical Church Congress). This conference meets once every two years to discuss current world affairs. This year the topics ranged from global warming and the war in Ukraine, to the growing presence of AI (artificial intelligence) in our dai...  Read More
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What a small world…
by Pastor Anita on June 13th, 2023
I barely paid attention to the news reports last week about wildfires in Canada, until I emerged from my windowless office on Wednesday to discover our world had changed. The sky held an eerie yellow haze, the wind smelled of smoke, the sun shone with a stunning orange hue. Like many of you, when I stepped outside my throat stung, my eyes itched, my chest ached. News reports warned of unsafe air c...  Read More
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The Celebrity who hated attention…
by Pastor Anita on June 6th, 2023
I want to tell you a story about a super-hero, disguised as a mild-mannered, glasses-wearing, soft-spoken, thoughtful reporter, working in Metropolis… No… this is not a story about Super Man, but about Tim Keller, the founder and pastor of Redeemer Church in New York City. In 1989, a professor from Westminster Seminary in Glenside, PA answered an audacious call from God, to go to the biggest metro...  Read More
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