The Boat In the Backyard
Sometimes the most ordinary things become vessels for God’s deepest lessons. For Michael Spencer, a small aluminum fishing boat sitting in his family’s backyard became a lasting symbol of his father’s love, his own childhood resentment, and dreams that were never fulfilled. As a boy, Spencer couldn’t understand why his father was so different from other fathers. Only years later, through the eyes of faith and maturity, would he begin to see the depression, fear, and brokenness that had shaped his father’s life, and the love that had been present even when his father could not express it.
“The Boat in the Backyard” is ultimately more than a story about depression or a complicated father-son relationship. It is a story about living in a broken world and discovering that God’s grace meets us in the places where life has left wounds . . .
When Jesus Got Infected
In this reflection, written at the beginning of Covid, pastor Josh Gritter ruminates on the encounter Jesus and His disciples had with a man infected with leprosy. Not only did this man’s condition mean he could not participate in worship or public gatherings, but he was required to live in isolation from his friends and family.
We can certainly relate to this man’s experience, as it’s similar to what many of us experienced during the Covid outbreak. We were subjected to lockdowns, forced to social distance, isolated and unable to attend school or gather in public meeting places, and even prevented from saying goodbye to loved ones . . .
The Power of Forgiveness
What does forgiveness entail? Why is it necessary? Why is it so difficult to forgive others and forgive ourselves? What does the Bible say about our responsibility when we have wronged someone or have been wronged? Does forgiveness always lead to reconciliation with God and with others? Does forgiveness eliminate the consequences of poor choices we have made? . . .
The Story of Malchus
In the gospel of John there is mentioned a man named Malchus, the servant of the high priest, Caiaphas, who accompanies the soldiers and officials sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In a brief skirmish, the disciple, Peter, cuts off the ear of Malchus and Jesus then heals him . . .