News
TPC Youth Help Clean the World
On Saturday, March 4, the TPC youth group and a few hardy adults gathered at the church to head out to volunteer at Clean the World. We were met at Clean the World by the extraordinarily-organized Gabi Norris, community development leader and volunteer coordinator....
The Meaning of Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of the church which we call Lent. On that day, we receive ashes on our forehead to remind us that we are mortal beings, that we were made out of dust and will one day return to dust. During Lent, the paraments in the...
Treasures In Heaven
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your...
Baby Traits
Writing on a subject that Paul talks about, comparing faith to a baby, is extremely appropriate for a pastor and his family that just welcomed a third child into their fold this past December. For the record: No, she is not the second coming of Jesus Christ. That our...
Light Salt, Please
Most of us have heard the expression: “Salt of the Earth” at some point in our life. These words, uttered by Christ from his famous “Sermon on the Mount” start out rather boldly, proclaiming: “You are the salt of the earth…” (Matthew 5:13a NRSV) But what does that...
Come and See
Jesus basically has two primary invitations for us in this world, as Christians and non-Christians alike. The first is to come and see. As in, come check out and see what is going on in the community or the church, or the town. Come and see what I am doing, who I am...
A Prayer for Central Florida Law Enforcement
Lord, merciful and mighty. Today we again come to you with heavy hearts and questions of despair. Sometimes, we take luxuries and protections in life for granted. Your loving presence we come to expect as the norm; as we also do the presence of law enforcement and...
Two Gifts in One
Our lives are filled with ups and downs, joys and struggles. There is no greater evidence of this than looking at both the birth of Jesus Christ and Christ’s crucifixion. We cannot have one without the other and our lives often seem to mirror this dichotomy. We cannot...
How to Put the Christ Back into ChristMAS
In the past couple of years, I have noticed more and more signs popping up reminding us to “put the Christ back into Christmas.” It’s our responsibility to remained focused on celebrating not only the birth but also the life of Jesus Christ. Since we are called as...
Christmas, X-Mas, or ChristMAS?
My grandmother has so many wonderful convictions, many of which I recall from my childhood. One of those was in regards to various ways Christmas is written. She, like many others (including myself), would get a little perturbed when someone would write X-Mas as...
Persistent Patience
There have been moments in my life where my patience has been pushed to its absolute limit. There have also been times where my patience has run out and I have given up or thrown in the towel. Was I proud that this happened? Absolutely not. But proved to be a good...
Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead (or in Spanish, dia de los muertos) is a holiday celebrated throughout most of Mexico Nov. 1 and 2. Families gather together to pray for and remember those who have died and help support them in their spiritual journey. It’s quite a festival and...