Membership
In the 1980s, American Express commercials told us "Membership has its privileges." I never understood that. Other cards like Visa and...
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Pastor Chas
Aug 1, 20235 min read
Head of the Church
I remember the first time I was ordained as a ruling elder in my 20s. The interim pastor, Harry Beverly, called in the big guns, and we...
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Pastor Chas
Jul 4, 20234 min read
July 4th: Loyalty and Gratitude
"A Scout is loyal: a Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and country." This is the second point of the Scout...
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Pastor Chas
Jul 3, 20235 min read
Risk vs. Trust
When I was a consultant, I was trained in project risk management. List things that could go wrong. Assign a best guess of the percent...
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Pastor Chas
Jun 6, 20236 min read
On Forgiveness
I had an email exchange with a friend about forgiveness. My friend vaguely referred to someone with whom he had had conflict. My friend...
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Pastor Chas
May 2, 20234 min read
Resurrection Life
"What does it mean," I asked on Easter, "that Christ is risen?" I listed a lot of good things: It means we're free from fear, free to...
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Pastor Chas
Apr 4, 20234 min read
Come In and Go Out: New Life
In the tenth chapter of John, there are three sheep-farming images in a row. In verses one through six, the shepherd is known to the...
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Pastor Chas
Feb 28, 20236 min read
Giving Up / Taking Up
Calvin said, "I interpret repentance as regeneration, whose sole end is to restore in us the image of God that had been disfigured and...
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Pastor Chas
Jan 31, 20235 min read
Vocation, Community
The Book of Common Worship says that this season of Ordinary (it means "ordered," not common) Time after Epiphany "highlights themes of...
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Pastor Chas
Jan 3, 20234 min read
Our Baptism, Jesus' Baptism
There is a significant event on the church calendar that comes up in early January. It's a little confusing, in the church, thinking...
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Pastor Chas
Dec 25, 20222 min read
Merry Christmas 2022
December 25, 2022 Dear friends, I have to admit that I don't really get into the building hustle and bustle before Christmas: decorating,...
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Pastor Chas
Nov 28, 20224 min read
About Advent
Matthew starts with a genealogy. "Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his...
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Pastor Chas
Nov 24, 20223 min read
Thanks for 2022
Ok, I know that 2022 is not over, but in a sense, it is. We just finished a liturgical year. This past Sunday was the end of the year...
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Pastor Chas
Nov 1, 20223 min read
Giving for the Beloved Community
Josiah Royce, 19th century Harvard philosopher, was investigating loyalty. When you are loyal to a group or community, what is it that...
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Pastor Chas
Oct 4, 20223 min read
Reformation and All Saints and Grief
On the last Sunday in October, many protestant churches celebrate "Reformation Sunday." On Halloween in 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95...
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Pastor Chas
Sep 6, 20225 min read
Discipleship Review
Guided in part by a book called The Meanings of Discipleship, edited by Andrew Hayes and Stephen Cherry, I've been preaching this summer...
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Pastor Chas
Aug 18, 20221 min read
Jack's Back!
We welcome Dr. Jack Bowman back to the position of Director of Music / Organist at First Presbyterian Church, Pauls Valley. His...
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Pastor Chas
Aug 2, 20223 min read
Discipleship is for Now
Between memory and anticipation is now. This is a profound concept. What gives us the ability to perceive time as progressing forwards?...
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Pastor Chas
Jul 2, 20224 min read
Discipleship is Love is Intentionality
I'm going to be examining the scriptures this summer with a particular question in mind: What does this passage teach us about...
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Pastor Chas
Jun 1, 20223 min read
Beyond Pentecost and Trinity, What?
Pentecost Sunday is June 5. Sometimes it is called the "birthday of the church." The disciples have been in hiding since the trauma of...
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