Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Did you know that this week and next, Jupiter and Saturn are going to be closer together than they have been in 800 years? The climax of what is called a “great conjunction” will take place on December 21 when the two planets “…will appear separated by just 6.1 arc minutes. That is roughly the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length.” (Scientific American, December 17, 2020) Thus, the light from these two planets will combine to shine in the night sky as if they are one, making them one of brightest points to behold in the sky. Some are likening this phenomenon to the star that led the magi to the baby Jesus. I’ve read numerous times how this year we are getting a real Christmas star!  Whether or not there is any connection to the star of Bethlehem, it seems fitting to me that we would be receiving such an incredible astronomical gift towards the end of a year such as the one we’ve been through. I’m not sure that it’s exactly a Christmas star such as the one that led the magi to Bethl

Last night Kim and I lighted the first candle for Chanukah. As many of you know, I’m Jewish on my mother’s side so for me it is quite significant to light the Chanukah candles. In doing so, I am continuing a heritage and tradition that has been practiced in my family for centuries. And it is another opportunity to recall God’s miraculous work on behalf of his people.  As my children were growing up, after I would light the candles and pray a simple prayer, they would burst into the traditional Chanukah song, “O Chanukah! O Chanukah!” that speaks of spinning the dreidel, eating latkas, and the candles brightly burning. Then, we would all begin to sing the old Sunday School song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” Finally, they would each get some chocolate gelt (money) or a dollar or a new Christmas ornament! Yes, we kind of blend everything together!  Last year's fully lit menorah Each year, as I pray over the candles, rather than praying the traditional Hebrew pr

As most of you know, Kim and I became grandparents for the first time this past August. Our grandson’s name is Jesse, and this will be his first Christmas. Of course, his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all so excited to celebrate Christmas with him. Kim and I are especially looking forward to having Jesse (as well as his parents!) with us on Christmas morning.  The only problem is, Jesse’s not excited at all about Christmas—after all, he doesn’t yet understand one day from the next, no less what a special day like Christmas is all about.   Jesse in front of our Christmas Tree! It makes me think about that very first Christmas—i.e., the day Jesus was born. There was so much hubbub surrounding Jesus’ birth: the stable and manger, angels and shepherds, magi and a star, etc.  But the newborn child knew nothing of what was happening around him. He was just a little baby, like any other baby, that simply needed to eat, sleep, and be held and comforted. Yes, that’s right!  Jesus

On this Thanksgiving Day, my mind goes to the words of Andrea Crouch's song, "My Tribute." May the lyrics to this song, inspire you to give thanks as you consider the goodness of God at work in your life!  How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved yet You gave To prove Your love for me The voices of a million angels Could not express my gratitude All that I am, and ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee To God be the glory To God be the glory To God be the glory For the things He has done With His blood He has saved me With His power He has raised me To God be the glory For the things He has done Just let me live my life and Let it be pleasing Lord to Thee And if I gain any praise Let it go to Calvary With His blood He has saved me With His power He has raised me To God be the glory For the things He has done Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!  Pastor Tim Harris 

The last time Kim and I visited our son Jonathan and his family I noticed sitting in the corner of their dining room, “Mr. Bear.”  You see, Mr. Bear was Jonathan’s favorite stuffed animal from the time he was about 18 months old. When he was young, Jonathan would fall asleep with his fingers stroking Mr. Bear’s fur.  He took Mr. Bear everywhere we would allow him to take him.  In fact, if you look closely at Mr. Bear you will see where his fur is worn and the places where Kim had to sew him back together time and again.  Although Mr. Bear was a fixture in Jonathan’s room, even throughout his teen and college years, somewhere along the line Mr. Bear got relegated to a box to be stored away. That box got moved with Jonathan when he got married. I guess having a newborn son caused Jonathan to go through some of his boxes and in the process he discovered, and then took out, Mr. Bear. It’s kind of like a Toy Story movie wherein the childhood toys get stored away only be taken out and apprec

A few days ago, as I was going to get into my car, the brilliant red leaves on the maple trees in our neighborhood and on our property caught my eye. The sunlight was hitting the trees in such a way so as to make their leaves glow with that deep red color that they had become. I stopped, gazed, and even took a few pictures for the beauty was almost overwhelming.  After a couple of days of rain and colder weather, however, almost all of those same beautiful leaves are now on the ground, leaving the trees pretty much bare.  What was once a thing of astounding beauty has become a chore (i.e. the blowing and raking of the fallen leaves!) and a reminder of the turning of the seasons.  The before and after! For me, those beautiful fallen leaves are also a striking reminder of the temporary nature of life. They remind me that, even the most beautiful things in life do not last. Oh, I don’t mean to be pessimistic, merely realistic about our world and our lives. For if we fail to see and unders

This week has obviously been a difficult one as we have come through election day and, as of this writing, are still waiting for the results. I’m not concerned about the slowness of the process for, like most of us, I want to know that every vote counts.  That’s the beauty of our nation’s democracy: every vote does count! I am concerned, however, as to how people will react once a winner is announced, especially those within the church.  Eventually a winner for the presidency will be announced. That is for certain. The question is, how will we respond once we hear the news? If it is the guy we voted for, will we gloat and rub it in the face of the other side? If it is the guy from the other side of the aisle who wins, will we fall into depression and anger complete with weeping and gnashing of teeth? Unfortunately, those are the responses that will be expressed by most people across our land: weeping or gloating.  But, I want to encourage those of us who are people of faith to move tow

Through the years, Kim and I have done a lot of driving up down the highways here in the Northeast. As we do, whether we are on the New York State Thruway, Connecticut Turnpike, New Jersey Turnpike, or Route 95, it’s not uncommon for us, after a few hours of driving, to be in need of a rest stop. Well, thankfully, our highway systems have rest stops all along the way. So, when we begin to get a bit tired, need to stretch, use a bathroom, or get something to eat, it’s not all that difficult to find a rest stop that will meet our need. Once we’ve stopped, even for a short amount of time, we feel reenergized and ready to keep on travelling. We’re thankful for the rest stops along the way.  Did you know that, one of the themes found in the Bible has to do with, rest? Right at the beginning, in the account of creation, we read of God resting on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). Later on, God commands his people to set aside the seventh day as a day of rest. It’s called the Sabbath. (Exodus 2

A couple of months ago, my son Jonathan introduced me to an app for my phone that gives the user a visual of the stars, planets, moon, and constellations. It’s really cool to go out on a clear night and hold your phone up to the sky and be able to know exactly which planet you are looking at or the name of a star.  Most recently, by means of the app, I’ve been able to identify Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars that are all showing up in the sky above us. In fact, now when I look up, I can identify them even without the help of the app. During our summer vacations in the Adirondack Mountains, we will often go out on a clear night and sit or lay back on the beach by the lake and look up. As we do, we are able to see a host of stars that are not visible to us here in a more populated area. Up there we are able to catch a glimpse of the milky way, satellites that are making their way around the earth, and lots of shooting stars. But here’s the thing: in order to see all of that, one has to look up

For years, the evening news on the ABC network has been called, “Eyewitness News.” The implication is that the news its reporters bring comes from firsthand experience as they go out to the scene of a fire, crime scene, or whatever it is they are reporting on. As the ABC reporters are dispatched to the location of a particular event, they show live scenes, interview witnesses, and give an “eyewitness” report. The producers of the newscast have known for years, when it comes to reporting, people want to hear from those who can give a firsthand account. There’s nothing like hearing from an eyewitness.  In the book of 1 Thessalonians, we read of the Apostle Paul sending Timothy to the church in Thessalonica to bring back to him an eyewitness account regarding how it was the believers there were doing.  Paul wrote, “…when I could stand it no longer, I sent (Timothy) to find out about your faith.”  (1 Thessalonians 3:5 – NIV).  What did Timothy report? What was his eyewitness news?   Paul g

This past week, Kim and I have had the pleasure of having our son Jonathan, his wife Danielle, and our grandson, Jesse with us—for the whole week!  That has meant a lot of “Jesse time!” At eight weeks old, he has become so much more responsive and playful than when we saw him last. I love having him on my lap in front of me, hearing him try to “talk,” and seeing his big smile break out.  I don’t even mind changing his diapers! And I especially love holding him up against me as he begins to fall asleep. It’s so calming and peaceful for the both of us. And, it makes me feel good to know he trusts me enough to sleep against my chest, between my shoulders.  If you think about it, it’s not surprising that babies like to be held as much as they do. After all, when they are held up against a parent, grandparent, etc. they are in a place of safety and security. It’s there that an infant finds comfort, protection, and provision. It’s between the shoulders of one who loves them that the child is

When I began running a few years ago, I began with 2 – 2/12 mile runs gradually working my way up to a 5K (3.1 miles). My goal was to be able to run a 5K race at a 9 minute/mile pace or better. So, I worked on getting faster for that particular distance. Soon, I was able to run at that pace with my best 5K time being an 8:26 mile. My problem was, I couldn’t run more than a 5K, mostly because I didn’t know how to pace myself for the longer run.  This past spring and summer, however, I began working on longer runs. I began doing more 4 mile runs and worked my way up to a 10K (6.2 miles). My longest run thus far has been 7 miles. The key to these longer runs has been the pace, which for me is about a 10 minute/mile pace. (Yesterday I ran 5 miles at a 9:37/mile pace!) I have found, if I want to go the longer distance I’ve got to properly pace myself at the start. The goal in this case is not so much the speed as it is the distance to be covered.  A lot of people begin things in life as if

This past week I’ve been dealing with a corneal abrasion in my right eye, such that the vision in that eye became completely blurred. Aside from the pain and the sensitivity to light that I was experiencing, I couldn’t even read the top two letters (i.e. largest letters) on the eye chart. When I covered my left eye, everything became a blur. Thankfully, with the treatments given to me by the doctor, as well as the prayers of my friends, my eyesight is almost back to normal. For about five days, however, it was terrible having blurry vision.  It made me think, however, how it is we actually see our lives and the world around us. The opinions and so-called knowledge that we so easily spout, as well as the answers that we tend to so quickly give, are all based on what we might call “blurry vision.” That’s true of any of us and all of us. Thus, the politician who thinks he knows how to solve all of our nation’s problems has blurry vision; the philosopher who thinks he knows the reason for

Last night I was watching the US Open Women’s semi-final match between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. At the beginning of the match, it seemed as if Williams had the match in the bag, winning the first set 6-1. Williams seemed strong and undefeatable; Azarenka was having trouble serving, was making a lot of unforced errors, and just seemed to be off of her game. I almost turned off the match thinking the ending was too predictable. I’m glad I didn’t. Azarenka, who had never beaten Williams in a major tournament, won the next two sets 6-3, 6-3! The player I had written off as the loser, became the winner! It was quite a comeback! That match last night, reminds me a lot of what it felt like 19 years ago today when we saw the World Trade Towers crumble, heard of the planes that crashed into the Pentagon and into the field in PA. It felt as if our whole world had collapsed as we realized the staggering number of deaths and experienced the aftermath of such an attack. The enemy seem

When we were first told that we needed to wear face masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, it was almost impossible to find any. I remember going on Amazon and ordering a few for Kim and me at a price I thought was outrageous. Then, a friend of mine in NYC heard that I was having trouble getting my hands on some, and knowing someone who had access to them, sent a couple packs of masks to my house—hand delivered!   Today the situation is quite different. One can find masks readily available in just about any store. And, they are being made and sold by all kinds of companies and stores—and with all kinds of designs. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I bought a package of three denim-looking cloth masks from GAP. I have seen sports masks, funny masks, statement masks, and even masks to be worn with formal wear. It’s amazing to me how quickly the mask industry has grown and thus the variety of masks that are available today—all within a relatively short time. Yes, today there are a

  Many of you know that I tend to be a planner. I’m usually looking down the road at least three months in advance, often much more. This is true both in my work at the church and in my personal life. I’m always looking at my calendar and planning the next steps that need to be taken, what I need to do to prepare for that which is on its way, laying out plans for a new preaching or teaching series, or looking ahead to our next family vacation.   Such was the case a number of years ago when Kim and I took our kids to Disney World in Orlando. At the time Jonathan was ten years old, Nathaniel was eight, and Joanna was seven. This was a big trip for us as a family and I wanted to make sure we didn’t waste money or time. So, I put together an itinerary for our five days in Disney which included which park we would go to each day, which rides had fastpass , when we would go back to the hotel and take breaks, some dinner reservations, etc. Most of it was all put together about four months bef

Now that we have a grandson (Jesse Gabriel, born on August 11 th !), so many people have said to Kim and me, “Enjoy them while they’re little. They get so big, so fast!”  And, I’m sure that’s true; in fact, as a parent, I know that’s true.  After all, it seems like it wasn’t all that long ago that we were celebrating the birth of our first son, Jonathan, and not too long afterwards the births of Nathaniel and Joanna. (We had three children in less than four years!) Now our “little boy” has had a little boy of his own. Yes, they get so big, so fast!   As of late I’ve been feeling a bit philosophical about life. The passage of time, the circles of life, the stages of life, the brevity of life, etc. are all swirling around inside my head. Sometimes it’s hard for me to wrap my head around it all. After all, how is it that just a short time ago I was holding my baby boy who is now holding his own baby boy? How could it be that my three little kids who were once so dependent upon Kim and me

This past Monday he arrived! Our first grandchild/son came into the world at 10:18 am, weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz., 20.75 inches long! After months and months of waiting (which I wrote about in last week’s devotion), Jesse Gabriel Harris has arrived! And, now the next chapter begins, for his parents, for us as a family, and for Jesse himself. On both Kim’s and my side of the family, Jesse is the first of the next generation. His arrival marks not only the birth of a baby into the family, but the start of another generation within our family line. Jesse Gabriel will in fact be the eldest among his cousins on our side of the family as well as among his cousins within Danielle’s family. Thus, his arrival marks a very special occasion within each of our families.   He is truly the start of a whole new generation.   The concept of generations is an important one throughout the Bible. Although most of us dislike reading them, the Bible is filled with genealogies that tell us of the births of