Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

It’s not uncommon for Kim and I to be having a conversation when a question arises to which neither of us has the answer. It could range from the stats of a favorite tennis player to the amount of protein in the food we are eating to what the weather will be over the weekend or something more scientific. At that point, one of us will turn and say, “Hey Google! What’s…?” Within seconds we have an answer.  I think you would agree, we live in a world that puts knowledge and information at our fingertips. Just a quick internet search gives us the answers to most of our questions—some  accurate and some not, but that’s beside the point.  We are told that before 1900 knowledge doubled approximately every century. By 1982 knowledge was doubling every 13 months. Some estimate that today, knowledge—what we know and understand about our world  and how it works—can double at a rate of up to every 12 hours! No wonder we can begin to feel what has been called, “information overlo...

Here’s a devotion I wrote in 2008. It fits for this year once again, as it does every so often: (Pic below is mom, dad, and I.)  This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  It is also my father’s birthday. With my father’s birthday being May 10th, the two fall on the same day every few years.  Such was the case during my senior year of college.  At the time, I was living in the Bronx.  Just before going home for the weekend, I stopped into a little card shop to pick up two cards, one for my mother and one for my father.  What I found, however, was a great surprise:  one card that said, “Happy Mother’s Day Mom & Happy Birthday Dad!”  I couldn’t believe it!   Of course I bought the card.  And, when I gave it to my parents, they and the rest of the family were just as surprised as I was.  It  was amazing to think that someone in the card industry had been smart enough to realize there was at least one family out there (and more, I’m su...

Last weekend was my grandson Jack’s fourth birthday. His birthday wish? To go to a monster truck show. So that is what we did—Jack’s dad, two sets of grandparents, and older brother Jesse. And Jack had the time of his life!    If you know me at all, you know that attending a monster truck show would not be high on my list. In fact, it would most probably never enter my mind. Yes, it was fun…to a degree. The trucks made a lot of noise, did amazing wheelies and donuts and jumps, and kicked up a lot of dust.  But what was most fun was seeing how excited Jack and his brother Jesse were. After all, I was there not for myself and what I liked or didn’t like. I was there for them. And knowing that they were having a great time was worth it all!  Unfortunately, too often we make our lives strictly about ourselves, making ourselves the center of our worlds.  Thus, if something doesn’t suit us or bring us some direct benefit, we turn our backs on it—even if it will be a b...

Tonight Kim and I will be traveling to Maryland to celebrate our second grandson Jack’s fourth birthday. We can’t wait to see him and his brothers. And we can’t believe tomorrow he will be four! For sure, time flies. And a great reminder of how fast it goes is the coming and going of our children and grandchildren’s birthdays.  Of course, from Jack’s perspective it has been a very long time between his third and fourth birthdays. Whereas for an adult (especially at my age), one year seems to go by so quickly, for Jack that one year has probably felt like an eternity. And I am sure, as the excitement towards his birthday has been building, these past few weeks have felt very, very long. That’s just one of the differences between what it means to be a child and an adult. As we mature, our sense of time significantly changes. And as much as we love what it means to be a child, and even celebrate childish ways among our children, we all know that no one is meant to stay a child or cont...

Since my spinal surgery nine weeks ago, and in the months leading up to it, I have not been able to run. I have, however, been able to walk. So, in fact, I’ve been doing a lot of walking—through the neighborhood, at local parks, and on a treadmill. Since my surgery, my step count has been steadily rising. At this stage of my recovery it’s been walking, walking, and walking some more!  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going for a walk. And walking is great for the body, especially if one walks long enough and at a strong enough pace. I do, however, miss going for a run (which I know many of you cannot understand!). But since I haven’t been able to run, I’ve done what I consider the next best thing (which, in some regards, may actually be the better thing) and that is walk and walk and walk some more.  The Bible often likens the way we live our lives to going for a walk. The picture given to us is of life as a road or path which we are on and which we walk. Actually, it is a picture ...

Yesterday was Good Friday during which we remembered the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday through which we celebrate his resurrection from the dead. Today, Saturday, is the day in-between. There are no special services. There’s very little in terms of any kind of observance. For some it’s a day of silence and contemplation. In fact, in the Catholic tradition, the altar is left bare, candles are extinguished, and Mass is not celebrated.  For some, this day in-between is a day to prepare our churches and homes for our Easter celebrations. The final shopping is done, breads are baked, meal prep is begun, the house is cleaned. If there are small children in the home, Easter baskets are being put together and the eggs colored. All in all, on this Holy Saturday we are looking towards Easter Sunday morning with the hope of a day of joy and wonderful celebrations.  But think if you will, what it was like for those first disciples on this day in-betw...