Letters from the Pastor

The Heavens Declare… and Point Us to Jesus

When Scripture tells us that “the heavens declare the glory of God,” it is more than poetic beauty. It is testimony. It is promise. It is revelation. From the earliest pages of Scripture, God has used the sky to proclaim His faithfulness and His...

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Pilgrims on the Way Toward a Flourishing Life

As we approach the close of another year, many of us are already thinking about what lies ahead. January often invites talk of fresh starts, resolutions, and renewed hope, yet by February we’re frustrated! Here’s help: the Christian faith has...

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Covered in Grace

As I write this, a steady snowfall is drifting past the window of my study here at church. The playground outside — usually filled with the joyful noise of our CDC kids — is being covered with a soft, growing blanket of white. Nearby rooftops, vehicles, sidewalks, and...

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Prepared for the Journey

As a dad, one of the things that comes most naturally to me is helping provide for our daughter, Isabella, who is a senior at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg. When she became eligible to have a car on campus, I began thinking through what she might need...

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Emmanuel: The Light for Our Journey

Advent invites us to lift our eyes once again toward the horizon where God’s promises break into our world. It’s a season when the church leans forward in hope, remembers God’s faithfulness, and prepares our hearts to welcome Christ—who comes to us as Emmanuel, God...

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Rethinking Mission

Every so often, the Lord places a fresh challenge before His people—a holy nudge that invites us to see our community, our opportunities, and our calling in a new way. This past Sunday we explored Paul’s words in Philippians 3:14, where he describes pressing on toward...

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Read the Bible Through in 2026

One of the more recent joys of my spiritual life has been reading through the entire Bible each year. In 2024, more than 40 people from our church completed this journey, and many are continuing the practice in 2025. I used The One Year Bible in 2024, and this year I...

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Living with Eternity in Mind

Every so often, a phrase lodges itself deep in your spirit. For me this week, it’s this one: “Live as if each day were the first day of the rest of your eternal life.”  I’ve often heard the advice to “live each day as if it were your last.” Tim McGraw captured...

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Learning to Be Still in a Distracted World

Recently, I watched an episode of Deep Questions, a podcast by Dr. Cal Newport, titled “The Real Reason You Can’t Put Down Your Phone (And What To Do About It)” (Episode 374). Dr. Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University and a columnist for The...

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Clothed in Truth and Love

In Sunday’s message from Colossians 3:12–17, we reflected on Paul’s instruction to “put on love” as we would put on a garment. Paul writes, “And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (v. 14). The word he uses for binds is...

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