Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

The other day, as I was walking the boardwalk, I passed by an elderly couple walking hand-in-hand. I couldn’t help but stop and ask them how long they have been married. The husband simply said, “A very long time.” The wife, however, with a big smile on her face gave the real answer: “70 years!” I thought that was astounding. Here they were, married for 70 years, and still walking the boardwalk hand-in-hand! (Think of it, they must have been in their 90’s.) I let the couple know that about two weeks ago, Kim and I celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary!  To which the wife responded, “Mazel tov…may you have many more!”  At that moment, however, their 70 years of marriage made me feel like a newlywed—as if I was just starting out. I wish I could have sat down with them and heard their stories and learned how it was that after 70 years of marriage, they were still holding hands. I’m sure they would have had some pretty good advice.  As I reflect on my own 40 years of ma...

Over the past few weeks Kim and I got to spend quite a bit of time with our three grandsons, Jesse, Jack, and Caleb. As we did, we learned one of the dinner routines they often do as a family in order to create conversation around the dinner table, as well as keep the kids engaged during that time (after all, like most kids they hate sitting at the table for too long).  Their routine is called, “Highs, Lows, and Buffalos.”  One by one each family member first shares a “high”—that is, something from their day that was especially good or that they really enjoyed. Then they each share a “low”—i.e., something they had to do or that took place that they didn’t like at all. Then they share a “buffalo.” I’m not sure why it’s called a “buffalo,” but a “buffalo” is some sort of surprise that they experienced that day. (I guess if they came across a buffalo that would be quite a surprise!) So, during our time together with them, we would periodically all share our “highs, lows, and buff...

This past week our son Jonathan’s family was with us. That meant that all three grandsons were here: Jesse, Jack, and Caleb. One evening, as the others were getting ready for bed (which is quite an event!), Caleb, who is now just over one year old, was with me on the couch as we waited for his mom or dad to come get him for bed. While we waited he and I played his little one year old games, like gently bonking heads or letting him clap my hands together. He has gotten to be quite animated and can be so much fun—and seems to love playing with his grandpa!   Suddenly Caleb laid his head down on my chest. He moved back and forth a few times, making me think he was just playing another game. Before I knew it, however, his head was down between my shoulders—i.e., on my chest—and he had fallen asleep. I was pleasantly surprised and quite glad that he would feel so comfortable with me that he would fall asleep on me in that way.  I immediately thought of one of my favorite verse...

If you don’t know already, after 41 years of being involved in ministry and 34 years as a senior pastor, at the end of the summer I’m retiring from full-time pastoral ministry. My final Sunday here at Shrewsbury First Assembly is September 7 which is now just about two months away. I have to admit, this is a quite a bitter-sweet time as I know I’m going to miss many things about pastoring while at the same time I’m looking forward to the changes that retirement can bring, especially more time with my family.  In the meantime, I’m getting myself and the church ready for what is to come. I’ve been working with our church board and assistant pastor, Guilherme Medeiros, who has been elected to step into my position upon my retirement, on this transition for about a year. Especially over the past six months, I’ve worked with Pastor Gui, preparing him for the role he is about to step into, hoping to help him and the church be well-prepared for the future that is before them.  For my...

I think you would agree that we live in a culture in which working “’round the clock,” as we call it, is something of a badge of honor. Those who “burn the candle at both ends” and say, “I only need a few hours of sleep,” are looked up to as if they are some sort of super hero. But is that the way it is supposed to be? Is that what God intended for our lives? Is that how God designed our bodies to work?  The more I’ve dived into the fitness world, the more I’ve learned about the importance of a good night’s sleep—which is usually defined as seven to eight hours of good sleep. It’s during sleep that our bodies recover from not only that day’s run or workout, but most importantly from the stresses and strains of what has often been a busy day. During sleep, our bodies heal and build and get back to where they are supposed to be so that the next day we can function at our highest capacity. Just ask any sleep-deprived parent of a newborn what happens when one loses too much sleep! I be...

Yesterday, here in New Jersey, it was so hot and humid one would have thought we were in the middle of August. By the evening, the sky darkened and tremendous thunderstorms came roaring through pouring down rain and filled with gusts of wind that picked up patio umbrellas and took down tree branches. This morning, however, everything is different. The sky is a perfect blue. The humidity is gone. The air feels fresh and clean. And the temperature has moderated such that you are neither hot nor cold. It’s a beautiful day here in New Jersey. Yes, as they say, “What a difference a day makes!” You’ve probably experienced it many times in your own life; I know I have. One day feels dark and stormy; the next is bright and clear—and visa-versa. One day everything seems to be in order; the next is filled with chaos—and again, visa-versa.  The truth is, what we are experiencing on one day or, we might say, in one season of our lives, is not necessarily what will always be. Life has a way of ...