Learning and Lent
People of God at Ebenezer, It is hard to believe that December was my sixth month as your vicar! Our time together is moving so quickly that it is difficult to quantify all the...
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Hope During Advent
Dear Faith Family at Ebenezer, I wonder if most of us use the word, “hope,” to describe things we wish would happenbut probably won’t, or things we want that are completely beyond our control?...
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Ebenezer’s Vision
Dear People of God at Ebenezer, Once a month I meet with a “coaching group.” This is a gathering of about 20 pastors from three states and six different denominations with one common goal...
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The New Year
A curious thing about the Church is the number of occasions we use to celebrate the “new year.” Our liturgical year begins with the first Sunday in Advent, usually late November or early December....
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Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Dear People of God at Ebenezer, “Won’t you be my neighbor? ” As I write this we have just concluded our annual South Carolina Synod Assembly. The theme this year was “Joining God in...
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Caught Being Good
Dear Saints of God at Ebenezer, When our boys were in elementary school they would occasionally bring home a certificate that said “Caught Being Good,” detailing a moment when they were prepared for class,...
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A Common Vocabulary
People of God at Ebenezer, A common vocabulary! I think more and more about what a blessing it is to hear and understand each other, or, sometimes, what a challenge it is to listen receptively and perceive each...
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Our Lenten Journey – God Provides
Dear Saints of God at Ebenezer, As a teenager I frequently made a drive from our home in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (eastern part of the state) to a place on the Cumberland Plateau about an hour west....
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Hearing God’s Gospel in New and Surprising Ways
Dear People of God at Ebenezer, After nearly 2000 years the Gospel still has the capacity to surprise us! Thirty-four years ago as a first year seminary student I went through what was then...
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New Beginnings
Dear Saints of God at Ebenezer, My family will attest that I have said this at the beginning of every family vacation since our sons were born – the best part of any journey is the beginning!...
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