Posts from 2024

My dog Waffles makes faces. Anyone else’s pet do that? You look at them, and they tilt their head. You say something to them, and they raise their eyebrows and stare at you. I know I’m making him more human than the K-9 that he is, but he often looks like he’s judging me. The Ancient Greeks were fans of the practice of physiognomy or face reading. It is the practice of assessing a person’s character or personality from their outer appearance—especially…

My family has a tradition—a tradition that some members of the family like more than others. When we are on vacation or a long holiday break from school, we do a puzzle. Many times when we visit, my mother-in-law, Sherwin Washburn, has one in the works on her dining room table. But especially on beach vacations, one table becomes the puzzle table. One of the more complicated puzzles that we’ve tackled was a scene of African animals. It took most…

This Sunday we talked about the Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. I have a sneaky suspicion. If we as a church prayed this prayer…and meant it…it might just change us. It might just change our hearts. Do you believe for it? “‘Our Father who art in heaven…” You are a good, good Father. You are in heaven, and we are not. You are over us. You are in control. “Hallowed be…

Our community has been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Western North Carolina has been decimated far beyond what happened here in Cleveland County. It is hard to even wrap our minds around whole communities being swept away by flood waters. I-40 and other roads are impassable and will take time to rebuild. Water systems and infrastructure have been destroyed. Our governor and others have said this is the worst storm to ever hit North Carolina…ever… One of the most important historical…

Matthew 5:21-22 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment…  Whether it was a to-do list or items we need from the grocery store, we’ve all made a checklist before. As we complete our tasks or find our items, we “check” or…

Matthew 5:13-16 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light…

Matthew 5:3-10 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children…

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” As a Christian church, we are a part of the great witness for Jesus in this world. We may not be the ones to set foot in different corners of the world, but we resource and pray for those that do. This is the Great…

For the past two Sundays, we’ve talked about serving. What does it mean to serve? What does it mean for us to follow in the footsteps of the greatest servant, Jesus? This past Sunday, we had the privilege of honoring two members of our church for their great service to Poplar Springs—two with great character, but different gifts, talents, and callings. Hugh Bess faithfully served our congregation and community as our church host for 20 years. I’m guessing here, but…

Two weeks ago, Hurricane Debby made its way onto and up the east coast. Thursday of that week brought a lot of rain and some gusts of wind for our area. We were having a staff meeting that morning and heard Clyde Buckner in the hallway talking on the phone. All we heard was “yeah, there’s water in the sanctuary.” Fortunately, it was a small leak. Even better, a new roof was already on its way thanks to the good…