Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Many people have never seen it. Even fewer have had it done to them. But this past week, as part of his graduation from his doctoral program, our son Nathaniel went through a hooding ceremony wherein his academic advisor placed an academic hood over his neck such that it draped down along his back, showing by its colors his area of study and the completion of his degree. The ceremony signifies the culmination of doctoral studies and the transition of the student from candidate to colleague. Of course, Kim and I are very proud of Nathaniel and felt privileged to be there to witness his hooding.  The most interesting part of the hooding ceremony to me is the thought that, one’s academic advisor and mentor is conferring on the student the status of a colleague. In other words, the student goes from being one who is under to one who is equal . It is meant to be a visual representation of the fact that the advisor has done their best to pour knowledge into the student and that the student h

This morning I had to bring my vehicle to the dealer due to a recall, as well as for regular service. Since I needed to leave my car for the day, I asked if I could have a loaner car, which they gave me. In fact, I ended up with a brand new Hyundai Tuscon with only 13 miles on it and all the newest bells and whistles. It’s not that I don’t like my vehicle (a Hyundai Santa Fe), but who doesn’t like driving a brand new car with gleaming new paint and all the newest features?  Of course, I’ll have to return it at the end of the day. That means, I better not get too attached to it or enjoy it too much! And I need to make sure I take care of it properly. After all, it would not be a good thing for me to return a damaged car at the end of the day. I need to remind myself I’m not the owner; it’s only a loaner.  In Matthew 25, Jesus told a parable of a man who was going on a trip. He gave different portions of his wealth to each of his three servants to manage on his behalf. When he returned,

How has your week been? Mine has been quite uneventful (except for a bit of a stomach bug that kept me at home for a couple of days). I know that for some, having an uneventful week might seem like a bad thing. I’d say, however, an uneventful week is actually a pretty good thing. After all, I don’t necessarily want my life to be constantly filled with all kinds of excitement, drama, and thus, stress. Sometimes it’s good to have an uneventful week.  Does that mean my week was boring? Not at all. As I mentioned, it unfortunately included a bit of illness. Besides that, I had some chores to accomplish at home and my normal workload for the church, including preparations for Sunday’s sermon. Kim and I attended our church’s marriage class online.  And I did get to watch a bit of the Madrid Open (tennis) on television and finish a book I had been reading on The Battle of Monmouth (a turning point battle for the American cause that took place right here in Monmouth County). So it wasn’t a do-