Posts with the tag “letter”

Here at Lenape Valley, we can see the blessings every day that come from the generous investment of our people.  Read More

Grace… Yes, last week’s letter was about grace… and so was last Sunday’s sermon… and the invitation to the Lord’s Table on the Sunday before… grace upon grace upon grace… We never seem to be able to say enough about grace- God’s amazing grace. When C.S. Lewis was asked what made Christianity unique among all the world’s religions, his answer was “grace.” He went on to detail features of other reli...  Read More

March 14, 2021- A white rose on the communion table celebrated the birth of the newest addition to the Lenape Valley faith community. Little AJ made his appearance in this world fourteen weeks earlier than expected, just two pounds at birth. He is perfect in miniature… 10 fingers, 10 toes… fingernails so tiny that they are barely perceptible to the naked eye… and eyes that have yet to see the ligh...  Read More

Have you seen them… sprouting up in lawns and flowerbeds… little splashes of color… precious signs of hope that spring is coming? I love the purple crocuses and white snowdrops that have appeared lately. The snow delayed their arrival, but the cold could not hold them back any longer! It was cold yesterday as we took our Sunday afternoon walk … the wind driving the chill a bit deeper. But those be...  Read More

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14  The land of the free and the home of the brave… those oft repeated words from the StarSpangled Banner have become enshrined in...  Read More

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31 Happy Presidents’ Day- the day we celebrate those who have led our nation through moments of glory and moments of strife. Our Presidents- n...  Read More

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 It’s snowing as I write this 47th letter… The snow started two days ago just as worship was ending. At this point, the weather service reports that Chalfont has 11.4 inches. And the snow continues… We have been out to shovel twice. They call this ‘heart attack snow’ and I believe it! I will really feel the exertion t...  Read More

I must complain!  OK… this is probably not the message you were looking for today, but still, I must complain!  On January 3rd in celebration of the Epiphany when wisemen of old followed a star to meet a baby King, we encouraged people in our faith community to get a “star word.”  Those who were comfortable with technology went to our website homepage and clicked.  The wheel would spin, and a word...  Read More

Did you realize that last week’s pastor’s letter was the 40th letter I have written since the beginning of March? I could not have imagined when I wrote that first letter, that I would still be writing 40 weeks later. The number 40 is an important biblical number, appearing 146 times in God’s Word. 40 often refers to a time of trial and testing, like the 40 days of rain that floods the earth, 40 y...  Read More

And a little child will lead them… Isaiah 11:6 Meet Holden Thomas, the 2 ½ year old son of Mitch Thomas- the area director for Push the Rock.  Imagine this moment… Mitch had just led a gym class for homeschool children.  At the end of their game, Mitch asked the kids to “take a knee.”  You have probably seen athletes “take a knee” before or after a game to dedicate themselves to the Lord with than...  Read More

Greg and I are on a roll… a very slow roll… but a roll none-the-less.  It started several years ago when I decided that we needed to replace the medicine cabinet in our master bathroom.  Years of wear and tear had left it a rather unsightly mess.  That thought has simmered in the back of my mind for a long time, but has never moved me to action until I started to hear about all the home-improvemen...  Read More

When I was a child, I knew the first Sunday of the church year as Homecoming Sunday.  That was the day everything started- Sunday School, Youth Group, Bible Studies, and so much more.  Usually Lenape Valley celebrates this homecoming moment by gathering for a church potluck picnic, with a feast of our favorite foods.  I love when the church family comes home from their vacations and adventures, fr...  Read More

Jesus often taught with parables, stories from the experience of the people that would draw them closer to the God who created them.  Parables are a powerful tool in teaching even in our modern day.  One of my favorite modern-day parables comes from Chuck Swindoll’s daily devotional, Insight for Today.  The story is entitled: “A Parable of Saving Lives”.  Enjoy! “On a dangerous seacoast notorious ...  Read More

God’s unchanging nature, God’s faithful love for His creation offers us a safe and secure refuge even in a rapidly changing world. This simple truth is the key to finding peace in the midst of uncertainty. Take a moment today to notice God’s hesed in your life.   Read More

Ever feel like David as he writes this prayer?  If only I could fly away…When I was a child, I used to love riding the waves.  The goal: to swim out far enough to catch a wave before it broke, and ride on the crest of that wave all the way to the shallows.  When it worked the ride was exhilarating- so worth the effort!  More often the ride was short-lived as the power of the wave diminished.  And ...  Read More

How are we doing these days?Sunday, August 2nd hundreds of protesters descended on Doylestown.  At times, the sound was deafening as two protests clashed- each intent on being heard.  Signs were brandished, hands raised, emotions on edge.  Thankfully, most of the protesters stayed to their side of the street, using megaphones to project their voices across the short expanse.  When protesters cross...  Read More

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  But then think of what many of us eat for breakfast… caffeine… carbs… processed sugar… One has to wonder about the health aspects of our most important meal.  I would like to suggest that perhaps there is another meal that holds a more vital place in the life of those who follow Jesus- the Lord’s Supper.  John Calvin wrote that the two mar...  Read More

I am writing this letter from home today.  My office at church sits across the hall from the restroom construction project that fills the airwaves with more sound than my mind can compete with. I am encouraged by the progress of our builders and excited about the prospect of new, clean, spacious restrooms.  Who could have imagined how much we would want new, clean restrooms in this COVID reality? ...  Read More

Sabbath keeping has gone the way of the past.  Some of you can remember when there were “blue laws” that limited commerce on Sunday.  Some of you can remember when Sunday was the day people went to church and then gathered in homes to enjoy each other’s company.  Some of you can remember when shopping, youth sports, and work were left for the other six days of the week.  But those are memories of ...  Read More

Sunday, July 5th felt like the first day of Spring! Yes, it was hot and humid that day. By the calendar’s measuring, we were several weeks into our Summer season. My father used to say: “Summer is over after the 4th of July.” So the 5th of July should be seen as anything but spring-like. But July 5th still felt like the first day of Spring this year as we re-opened our church building for worship....  Read More

John is encouraging us to be a part of the new-God’s kingdom becoming real here in our midst. What an invitation, but still we yearn for what we know, because that new kingdom will demand that we change. Our aversion to change can be a significant stumbling block to our embracing of the new that God is bringing in and around us.   Read More