Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Recently I have seen a set of TV commercials by the State of New Jersey trying to encourage people to come back to the Jersey Shore this summer—that is, in the wake of the post-Sandy devastation and subsequent cleanup.  The slogan of the campaign, one that is being quoted over and over again by Governor Christie, and even repeated by President Obama, is “Stronger Than the Storm.”   In other words, in spite of the terrible destruction left by Hurricane Sandy, the Jersey Shore has been rebuilt and is ready for business.   Due to the resilience of its people and their combined efforts, the State of New Jersey has proven itself to be “ Stronger Than the Storm.” This is good news for those of us who love to go to the Jersey Shore during the summer.  I hope to get down there with my family at some point this season.  It’s kind of a tradition for us to spend an afternoon or two on the beach and the evenings walking the boardwalk, eating pizza or ice cream, and simply enjoying

With the warmer weather upon us, we often sleep with our bedroom windows open.  That can mean early in the morning hearing birds, often right outside our window, singing and cawing and whistling and making whatever other kinds of noises birds make.  This time of year, the male cardinals are especially singing up a storm, often much earlier in the morning than I would like them to sing. (For some reason, they don’t seem to care what time it is or what I think!) Although at times I’d rather not have the birds making so much noise, I do find something reassuring about their sound early in the day.  For one, no matter what may be happening in the world or in my life, they continue to sing and whistle unaffected by it all. There is something about hearing the steadfast sound of the birds in the midst of the ups and downs of life.  Secondly, they are a constant reminder of God’s care for his creation--not only his care for the birds, but his care for each of us.  J

In our family, we have two graduations this year.  Last weekend, we were so proud as we watched Jonathan receive his bachelor’s degree (with honors, I might add) from Templeton Honor’s College of Eastern University.  And, in a few weeks we will watch as Joanna makes her way up to the platform to receive her high school diploma.  As you can imagine, it is an exciting time for us as a family. Of course, at this time of the year, all over the country, young men and women (and some not so young) are walking in procession, dressed in caps and gowns, as they receive their diplomas. Each graduation signifies the completion of a particular course of study and the achievement of a particular amount of knowledge.  Each diploma received represents to some degree a certain amount of knowledge that the student has been taught, has had to study, and will hopefully retain (at least in part).  In the end, the hope is that each graduate leaves their particular school with more kn

Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer.  All over the country, people of faith gathered to pray.  It was a day to give thanks for all that God has given to us as a nation.  It was also a day to look head-on at what is taking place among us and to pray for God to move by his Spirit and to lead us as a nation into his ways.  It was a day to pray for our leaders from the President on down, praying that God would speak to their hearts and lead them according to his wisdom, giving them the ability to lead in a way that would bring blessing to all people.  As I look at what is happening among us as a nation, I can’t help but think how God’s heart must be broken for what he sees.  It’s not just about laws but even more so about what those laws reflect.  It’s obvious that our society has begun to freely accept standards and ways of thinking that no longer reflect the purposes, plans, and standards of God—standards that God knows are ultimately best for us both individu