Author Archives: pastorsteverichards

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9) Nehemiah had mastered the practice of Stop, Drop and Pray. From the very beginning, we read how as a cupbearer to the king he hears a report about how poorly things … Continue reading →

Betrayal. It is always personal. Whenever I think I am more important than you. What makes me shudder is just how personal betrayal can be. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Jesus was Jewish enemy number one. The guards did … Continue reading →

We have a daughter who is afraid of the water. When she was a child, she unknowingly stepped into the deep end of a swimming pool and began to drown. This was a hotel pool without a lifeguard, and if … Continue reading →

I cannot say the word hallelujah without doing what the word means. The last three letters of the word form the first three letters of the Hebrew name for God. Hallelujah means praise the Lord, and just by saying the … Continue reading →

“Be on guard against the yeast…” Luke 12:1 I usually think of yeast as a good thing. After all, it is an essential ingredient to one of my favorite foods. Yeast has great power. We have a jar of yeast … Continue reading →

To be honest, I was up early this morning and had a hard time focusing on what I was reading. Parts of today’s readings, I had to read more than twice – not because they were difficult to understand. I … Continue reading →

Today, we transition from summer to fall. I can refuse to wear a jacket and deny that it is truly fall, but that doesn’t make it summer. I get no say in the change of seasons. I am powerless, but … Continue reading →

Entitlement. The word does not appear in today’s readings, but it was the first word that came to mind as I was reading from Ezekiel. Entitlement does not have a positive connotation to me. It means privilege, ownership, guaranteed access. … Continue reading →

There is a huge difference between listening and reacting. I can find far more examples in this world of people reacting and me reacting than I can of listening. The verse that came to me loud and clear today is … Continue reading →

Some days as I leave the house, I can hear our dog howling. We always put her in a kennel when leave the house and usually she is content to be there. But not always. Yesterday was one of those days. … Continue reading →