Never an Original Thought

The year was 1972. Billy Joel was stuck in a bad record contract with a dodgy manager. He decided to skip town and make his way to California, hoping to avoid his troubles back in New York City. When he first arrived in the Golden State, he got a job, under an assumed name, playing piano at the Executive Room in Los Angeles. Later, he took that experience and wrote a song about it. When that song, Piano Man , was released, it instantly became a classic. Joel introduces

Click the picture to order a copy of this icon. I don’t think I have a drop of Irish blood coursing through my veins. Nonetheless, I will be beaming with pride this St. Patrick’s Day. I won’t be drinking green beer or wearing a “kiss me, I’m Irish” button. I won’t be looking for leprechauns or pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. What I will do is offer a little prayer of thanksgiving for Patrick, the evangelist of Ireland. Here was a man of strength and passion, yet

Each February, the First Presbyterian Church of Norwalk, Ohio, ordains and/or installs new elders and deacons. Those elders and deacons take nine ordination vows. Among those vows, our leaders declare that Jesus is Lord, accept the Bible as God’s Word, and promise to love their neighbors. These vows seem natural and fitting for someone who will serve as a Christian leader. There is another vow that might give an elder or deacon pause: “Will you pray for and seek to serve

Back in the early 18th Century, the Moravians, a Protestant group before the Protestants, had a tradition of gathering on New Year’s Eve to welcome the new year with worship and prayer. They were called Watch Night Services. Charles Wesley, the founder of Methodism, adopted the practice. During those services, believers would renew their commitment to God and seek divine guidance for the new year. The Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, defended the practice, saying, “I h

As we reach the last month of the calendar, now is the time to make those Christmas wish lists. In all honesty, it’s been decades since I sat down with the Sears Wishbook catalog and wrote my own list. Nonetheless, I can guarantee that presents still dance in children's heads. Unfortunately, this December, a song keeps dancing in my head that I can’t get out. It’s about a most unusual present. In 1953, the 10-year-old native of Oklahoma City, Gayla Peevey, sang “I Want a

Other than Jesus’ resurrection, there is only one miracle common to all four Gospels. Jesus feeds thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread and some fish. In Mark’s account of this miracle, Jesus has compassion on the crowds because “they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). Jesus begins to teach them, but as the afternoon gets long, more practical concerns take precedence. He tells the apostles to give them something to eat. They scoff. The price

Francesco Bernadone was the son of a wealthy merchant, and he appreciated the finer things in life. In fact, he was a bit spoiled. During the Middle Ages, children of privilege were often trained in chivalry, courtesy, and court manners, and Francesco was no exception. He enjoyed luxury, music, and dance. The young man had an attractive personality and often became the life of the party. As a follower of the ideals of chivalry, the young man also tried his hand

A new Superman movie is out, directed by James Gunn. The movie is not high art, but it is fun, which is probably all you can expect from a superhero film. For the last few decades, we have been inundated by caped crusaders, but Superman is a bit different. Maybe he wasn’t technically the first superhero, but “this strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men” set the standard for all who came after him. Pe

In high school, I discovered a passion for mathematics. I was never thrilled with simple computation. Arithmetic bored me. However, starting with geometry, I fell in love with mathematical proofs. Starting with simple truths and universal principles, I derived airtight, logical arguments about how angles, circles, and parabolas behaved. I found power, truth, and even beauty in logical arguments. There was a great satisfaction in reaching the end of a geometric proof, “q

Rev. Tim Tam, the Founder and Spiritual Director of the Word at Work, asked me to write something to share with congregations considering engaging in mission in Belize. I thought our congregation might appreciate what I wrote. We return to Belize in January 2026. I have been associated with the Word at Work and mission in Belize for almost twenty years. Each congregation I have served has participated in at least one short-term mission trip through The Word at Work. However

This article was originally published in the Messenger in June 2021. Summer is here. It is true that the official beginning of the season, the summer solstice, doesn’t occur until June 21, and school remains in session for a few more days. Nonetheless, one can sense that the season is already in the air. People are planning vacations, trips to Cedar Point, and visits with family. Children are looking forward to time at the swimming pool, summer camps, and a few more vide

On my bookshelf, I have a dusty old volume of Pastor Charles Sheldon’s novel, In His Steps . The book was written in 1896 by Sheldon for his youth group in Topeka, Kansas. The novel tells the story of a pastor who challenges his congregation to live for one year, asking, "What would Jesus do?" The rest of the book outlines the transformed lives of the parishioners as they tackle the problems of poverty, economic exploitation, graft, and the like, all in the name of Jesus. The

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) After the resurrection, there are several appearances of Jesus to the disciples. I find the road trip to Emmaus as one of the most intriguing. Cleopas and a companion are traveling the eight miles between Jerusalem and Emmaus. Perhaps they were going home. Perhaps they, like many disciples, were scattering after the events of the crucifixion. The stor

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” - Psalm 34:3 Perhaps you have encountered it while hiking in the mountains. Maybe you felt it while listening to a great piece of music. Perhaps it happened at the birth of your children. Maybe it happened during a worship service. No matter where it has occurred, most human beings have experienced awe and wonder. We know deep down that there is a reality greater than the everyday. That experience is the

‘Tis the season, and the music of the season is already in the air. You certainly hear it in worship, but you might also hear it on the radio and in the mall. The Christian carols compete these days with Frosty and Rudolf, but if you listen carefully, you still can hear what happened in Bethlehem so long ago. Interestingly, those carols shape how we hear the story even more than the Scriptures do. According to the Gospel of Luke, the angels responded to Jesus’ birth by p

“May you live in interesting times.” These seem like words that might be spoken at a graduation ceremony or a champagne toast. However, “interesting” isn’t necessarily a good thing. I am told that the words are a Chinese curse. Whether it is or not, “interesting” can be overwhelming. Still, no one can doubt that we live in interesting times. In my adult lifetime, the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union crumbled, the World Trade Center fell in a terrorist attack, and riote

Leadership can make or break an organization, a business, a school, a church, or a community. Over the years, much has been said about the topic. A simple search on Amazon’s website will reveal tens of thousands of titles. There are books about the leadership styles of such varied practitioners as Attila the Hun, Abraham Lincoln, and Jean Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise. We are drowning in leadership advice, but we continue to struggle with the idea. For Christians

On Sunday, September 1, 2024, we retired our logo of a tree and our mission statement: "Rooted in Grace. Growing in Christ. Reaching out in Love." The logo and mission statement have been good to us. For the past several years, they have helped us focus on what's important. We are now ready for a new chapter in the life of our congregation. That said, we didn't want to "retire the tree" without giving thanks for what came before. As a result, we planted a tree and dedicate

Kathleen Wheeler continues her explanation of the Road Ahead initiative. This time, we consider the congregation's "core values." “The Road Ahead!” Last month , we wrote about what “The Road Ahead,” was all about: the future of our church, and an outline of what we want to achieve and how to get there. So now it’s time to answer another question: how are we deciding what gets our attention in the future? Great question! There are a million things we could have decided to foc

All the surveys, focus groups, demographic reports, retreats, bible study, and prayer were for one purpose: How do we become the best First Presbyterian Church possible? Along the way, we discovered that God didn’t want us to become the church down the street. God didn’t want to turn our backs on almost two centuries of discipleship and ministry in Norwalk, Ohio. We need to live into our giftedness. When David faced a giant, the king gave the shepherd boy his armor and s