This week we celebrate the beginning of a new year -- and a new decade. As 2019 came to a close, there was much reflection not only about the past year, but also the past decade (2010-19). In one sense, it is difficult to look at a decade as it closes to see what will be remembered as the most...
The last couple of posts have sought to explain how Matthew uses references to Hosea 12 and Jeremiah 31 in the infancy story of Jesus in Matthew 2. There is one final place in the chapter in which Matthew says that something about Jesus’s early life “fulfills” what was spoken...
In the last two posts, we have seen that Matthew refers to Isaiah 7 and Hosea 12 in his telling the story of Jesus’s birth and childhood, saying that something happens that “fulfills” these passages from the prophets. The next time Matthew refers to something being fulfilled is...
In last week’s post I noted that there are four places in the opening chapters of the Gospel of Matthew that speak about the birth and infancy of Jesus in which Matthew tells us that something happened to fulfill a prophecy in the Old Testament, but it is not always clear how they referred...
As we move toward Christmas, we are likely to read and reflect on the Christmas story and the details recounted in Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2 (Jesus’s birth is not recorded in Mark and John). In these chapters we read how Jesus fulfilled various Old Testament prophecies. Matthew...
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we often pause and think about things we are thankful for. For example, this year our family did a ‘Thankfulness Tree’ and put leaves on the tree on which we wrote something for which we are thankful. That was a good activity for my kids, but it...
One of the things I love about being a part of Faith Church is its commitment to minister to and with people with disabilities and their families, and to be a church that is welcoming to all, where people of all ability levels belong and serve. Part of that ministry is helping our church family...
