Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

This week we’ve all been reminded that, in spite of the fact there are so many things we are able to control, the wind is not one of them. In fact, there is almost nothing we can do about the wind.  Thus, there has been no way for the firefighters and other first responders to stop the blowing of the Santa Ana winds that were responsible for spreading the terribly destructive fire that hit Los Angeles this past week.  For sure, as some have said, the fire that brought so much destruction in its wake was seemingly apocalyptic. The pictures we’ve seen here on the east coast I’m sure are nothing compared to the reality of what has taken place. If anything, the before and after pictures of the communities that have been wiped out are quite telling. The pictures of the wind-whipped flames are horrendous, if not frightening. If only, there was some way that we could have stopped the wind. But there was not and is not.  Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear i...

Happy New Year! 2025 has arrived and some of us can’t believe it.  After all, it seems as if we just rang in 2024…or 1998 for that matter (or whatever year is fresh in your mind).  For sure, time can seem to fly, especially as one gets to be a bit older. Nonetheless, here we are at the start of a new year.  Of course, this is the time of year that people are making their resolutions and setting their goals for the year to come. The gym will be a bit more crowded. Dieting begins. Career goals and educational goals will be laid out. Many people will begin new Bible reading plans or commit to a more consistent devotional life. And the list of resolutions and goals can go on and on. But the question is, how many people will continue to pursue their goals and fulfill their resolutions as the year goes on?  You know how it normally goes: By the end of February the crowd in the gym has thinned out a bit, old eating habits return, and many of the other start-of-the-year comm...

Over the years, I’ve had people tell me they don’t really like the Christmas season for they find it too stressful. And I understand. It’s true that with all the planning, the shopping and decorating, baking and cooking, etc. the Christmas season can become quite stressful. There is the build up to that one day filled with, unfortunately, often unmet expectations. And there is the juggling of already busy schedules as we try to get everything done. Thus, I’m not surprised when I hear people complain about the stress of Christmas.  I fully understand. In spite of the fact that I really do love the excitement of Christmas—the  glow of the Christmas tree in our living room, the houses decorated in lights, Kim’s cookies and breads, the exchanging of gifts and the pouring out of the stockings, just to name a few things—I can get really stressed out by Christmas.  After all, I’m juggling the preparations for both our home and for the church at the same time. I’m thinking about ...

The changeover has taken place! It’s no longer about the big turkey dinner, decorations of  orange and brown, and cornucopia centerpieces. Now it’s about lights and trees, red and green, the gifts and cards, poinsettias, wreaths and carols. Thanksgiving has given way to Christmas!  If you ask me, it happened so fast. The day after Thanksgiving the ornaments were being set on the tree in the corner of our living room—and on the small one in our family room that is just for the grandchildren. A couple of days later the lights were on display in front of the house and the wreath put on the door. Before you knew it, our home had been fully given over to Christmas.  No more Thanksgiving decorations…it’s time for Christmas!  If you think about it, that’s the way it has always been with Christmas. After all, on the night Jesus was born a new period of time was inaugurated. History was divided. The old era was gone and a new one had come. For with the birth of Jesus, God’s g...

As I mentioned in an earlier Pastor’s Devotion, back in early October Kim and I visited the Greek island from which my grandparents had come, the island of Lesvos. While there we visited an organic olive grove and olive oil factory. It was a great experience—in spite of all the walking and climbing we had to do among the olive trees. We learned a lot about olive trees, the cultivation of olives, and the production of olive oil. One thing we learned is that, it takes about 40 years for an olive tree to produce enough olives for harvesting. That’s a lot of time. (There is a saying: “One plants grapes for themselves, but olives for their children and grandchildren!”).  As we drove around Lesvos, everywhere we turned there were olive trees. We were told that the southern part of the island alone had 12 million of them! That’s a lot of olives trees! And that’s a lot of olives! It’s no wonder one of the things Lesvos is known for is its olives and olive oil. (The other is ouzo—but that’s...

This week here in New Jersey, water restrictions were put into place due to drought conditions. Although we’ve enjoyed some terrific weather, the continually blue skies have meant a lack of rain. September 2024 was the third driest September on record, followed by an October that had record low rainfall not just for the month of October, but a record low for any month. And thus far the November has not been any better—just a tenth of an inch.  I realize that we are not the only ones facing a lack of rain. And ours is not nearly as severe as it has been in other parts of the world (and hopefully will not be). When Kim and I were on the island of Lesvos, Greece at the beginning of October, we were told their last rainfall had been April 10. And they still have not received any substantial rain. Parts of South America (e.g. the Amazon rainforest in Brazil) and southern Africa have faced long-term droughts. Some places have been devastated by a lack of rain. I think we’d all agree, we ...