Sep
11
In Good Faith
Ken Lang 09/11/09
There are a lot of verses in the Bible – over 31,000. To pick one out of the pile is a difficult task even for a pastor. Being a pastor over 17 years, I am somewhat familiar with the text of Scripture. I would have to say that my favorite comes from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. The Jews had been deported to Babylon and were wondering what they should do. Their lives had been shattered and their country destroyed. Jeremiah wrote back telling them to settle in and prosper in this foreign country...
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Faith, Lang
TAGS: Faith, Lang
Jul
24
In Good Faith, August 2009
Sarah Alamond 07/24/09
On June 23, 2006, I gave birth to my second child, a daughter, who was born at 2 lbs. 8 oz., 8 weeks early and extremely weak. She looked different, wasn’t growing and even the best doctors didn’t know if she would survive, not to mention that she was so tiny you could fit my husband’s wedding ring around her thigh. After my delivery, amidst all the visible worry on other’s faces, I somehow felt that things would be okay. I felt a strange peace, which for someone with self-diagnosed minor OCD, is not something I have felt often. For a long time I would wonder if it was the pain medication after my c-section, or in fact God and my faith in Him that kept me feeling like everything was going to work out fine...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Jun
26
In Good Faith...July
Dorothy Heller 06/26/09
Faith is the backbone of the Lutheran Church for we believe that we are saved by God’s Grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. That doctrine is the basis of those who call Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church their church home. Immanuel is the oldest Lutheran Church congregation in Onondaga County and the oldest church in Clay.
Church ancestors trace their heritage back to Germany to a place called the Palatinate on the Rhine River in Germany. In the winter of 1708, they were evicted from their homes by the French. On Dec. 25, 1709, 3,000 people boarded 10 ships bound for America as indentured servants of “the crown” under Gov. Robert Hunter. Those that survived settled in camps on the Hudson...
Church ancestors trace their heritage back to Germany to a place called the Palatinate on the Rhine River in Germany. In the winter of 1708, they were evicted from their homes by the French. On Dec. 25, 1709, 3,000 people boarded 10 ships bound for America as indentured servants of “the crown” under Gov. Robert Hunter. Those that survived settled in camps on the Hudson...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
May
27
In Good Faith: June
Nancy Fasoldt 05/27/09
I saw a sign on a church today that reminds me of a time I stepped out in
faith, even though I really really didn't want to.
The sign said: "God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."
Here's the story.
It's mid afternoon on a Saturday and I'm on an emergency run to Staples in
Marketfair North Shopping Center, across from Great Northern Mall in Clay. I
have a color brochure for the women of Liverpool Community Church on Sunday
and my home printer has a headache.
So I jump into my SUV and head to the store. I swing into the lot, hop out
of my car and notice a man and a woman off to my left trying to shove a
very large desk into a very small car...
faith, even though I really really didn't want to.
The sign said: "God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."
Here's the story.
It's mid afternoon on a Saturday and I'm on an emergency run to Staples in
Marketfair North Shopping Center, across from Great Northern Mall in Clay. I
have a color brochure for the women of Liverpool Community Church on Sunday
and my home printer has a headache.
So I jump into my SUV and head to the store. I swing into the lot, hop out
of my car and notice a man and a woman off to my left trying to shove a
very large desk into a very small car...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
May
05
In Good Faith
Deanna Pavlacka 05/05/09
"In Good Faith" - to me, this title invokes trust. When a person accepts something in good faith, they are trusting the source implicitly. As a child, I grew up in a family where I was taught that I needed to speak the truth and live honorably. But, it's more than just having good moral standards and ethics. My family was a very faith-filled family, and quite traditional. I learned that I could talk to God about anything, trust that His answers to prayer (even if the answers were not the ones I would have liked), and that God wanted me to love others as He loves me.
My mom was a tremendous influence on me. Her faith was nothing pretentious - just a simple love of Jesus and taking that love to the next step of loving others...
My mom was a tremendous influence on me. Her faith was nothing pretentious - just a simple love of Jesus and taking that love to the next step of loving others...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Mar
30
New church moves into Clay
03/30/09
The Bridge is currently assembling a "launch team" to help launch this new ministry to the Syracuse area. Bridge churches believe that all ministry flows out of relationships and are intently focused on the quality of ministry rather than how many or how large the church is.
“We are interested in the spiritual synergy that happens when people of like mind and heart attempt to do great things for the Kingdom of God. We believe in moving in freedom and for the Holy Spirit to have His way,” said Ranelle Bovenzi, Bridge member. This belief is part of the spiritual DNA of the founder of the Association of Bridge Churches, John Paul Jackson...
“We are interested in the spiritual synergy that happens when people of like mind and heart attempt to do great things for the Kingdom of God. We believe in moving in freedom and for the Holy Spirit to have His way,” said Ranelle Bovenzi, Bridge member. This belief is part of the spiritual DNA of the founder of the Association of Bridge Churches, John Paul Jackson...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Mar
30
Combined Choirs to present Faure’s Requiem
03/30/09
A Good Friday production of “Requiem,” by Gabriel Faure, will be presented at 7 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, 232 West Onondaga St., Syracuse. James O. Welsch, director of music ministries at Liverpool First United Methodist Church and assistant professor of music at Setnor School of Music, will conduct a combined choir with organ and chamber orchestra.
Vocalists from four area churches have prepared the music with their choir directors. They are: Liverpool First United Methodist, Welsch; Plymouth Congregational, Joseph Downing; the First Unitarian Universalist Society, Jonathan English, and University United Methodist Church, Martha Sutter. Downing will play the organ; the baritone and soprano solos will be sung by professional vocalists...
Vocalists from four area churches have prepared the music with their choir directors. They are: Liverpool First United Methodist, Welsch; Plymouth Congregational, Joseph Downing; the First Unitarian Universalist Society, Jonathan English, and University United Methodist Church, Martha Sutter. Downing will play the organ; the baritone and soprano solos will be sung by professional vocalists...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Mar
02
The Golden Rule
Cathy Hatch 03/02/09
We all make choices everyday. Some choices are easy, while others are very difficult. Many people choose to lie. These lies can be small or large. Some are told to avoid hurting others. Many are told for selfish reasons. My world does not tolerate lying and I practice what I preach. There were a number of friends who were once a part of my life, but then they lied to me and were no longer my friends, period. There are no second chances. The proverbial Golden Rule is all about treating others the way you, yourself, want to be treated. Sounds simple, however, we do not all want the same things or the same treatment.
For instance, I would want someone to tell me if my new haircut looked terrible. Other people, however, would feel offended or embarrassed...
For instance, I would want someone to tell me if my new haircut looked terrible. Other people, however, would feel offended or embarrassed...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Jan
29
A Needle Pulling Thread
Judy VanNostrand 01/29/09
As a sewer, the saying “A stitch in time saves nine” holds great value to me. I have spent about 80 percent of my life sewing, stitching creating and re-creating. In fact, my husband had purchased a sewing machine for me long before we had a television in our early married years. It was one of the fancier kinds, that did ornate stitching long before it became popular.
Later in life, I found that there was a need for mending that I could fulfill as a stay-at-home mom. I did countless alterations for prom dresses and progressed to more serious projects- wedding dresses, usually for bridesmaids. The people seemed to like my work and I enjoyed the compliments so my career was launched...
Later in life, I found that there was a need for mending that I could fulfill as a stay-at-home mom. I did countless alterations for prom dresses and progressed to more serious projects- wedding dresses, usually for bridesmaids. The people seemed to like my work and I enjoyed the compliments so my career was launched...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Dec
23
In My Silence
Angela 12/23/08
In my silence, you hear me, in my silence you use me, In my silence you understand what I’m trying to say…
It all started this past March. It seems like my voice was slipping away. I noticed that I couldn’t laugh as freely as I once could. I found it difficult to sing even simple songs with the worship team. And I couldn’t scream when an itsy bitsy spider came along.
Then, in July I finally went to an ENT to figure out what was going on with my voice. The diagnosis was that improper singing and talking had taken a toll on my vocal cords and I had developed vocal nodules. Thankfully, surgery was not needed, but complete vocal rest was still my road to a cure. On one hand I was glad I finally had a diagnosis for my strained vocal cords...
It all started this past March. It seems like my voice was slipping away. I noticed that I couldn’t laugh as freely as I once could. I found it difficult to sing even simple songs with the worship team. And I couldn’t scream when an itsy bitsy spider came along.
Then, in July I finally went to an ENT to figure out what was going on with my voice. The diagnosis was that improper singing and talking had taken a toll on my vocal cords and I had developed vocal nodules. Thankfully, surgery was not needed, but complete vocal rest was still my road to a cure. On one hand I was glad I finally had a diagnosis for my strained vocal cords...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Dec
10
Teens run drop-off shed at church
Melissa Renahan 12/10/08
David Hertweck, the youth pastor at the Trinity Assembly of God church, wants to spread the good word about the addition to their parking lot: a clothing drop-off shed. The drop-off site will be run entirely by the church’s youth group, which involves cleaning the site, emptying the shed, organizing the clothes and occasionally re-bagging items.
The shed was provided by an organization called St. Pauly Textile Inc. St. Pauly was started 12 years ago and its mission is to get wearable clothing to people who need it, both in the United States and Third World Countries. In 2007 they were able to ship over 34 million garments. They work with over 300 non-profit organizations (mostly in Western New York) who earn revenue for their efforts based on the donations they receive...
The shed was provided by an organization called St. Pauly Textile Inc. St. Pauly was started 12 years ago and its mission is to get wearable clothing to people who need it, both in the United States and Third World Countries. In 2007 they were able to ship over 34 million garments. They work with over 300 non-profit organizations (mostly in Western New York) who earn revenue for their efforts based on the donations they receive...
CATEGORY: General Society
Nov
03
What faith feels like
Marissa Kubinyak 11/03/08
Though I grew up without a title to place on my spiritual beliefs, I always knew what faith meant, and certainly what it felt like. As a child, faith was in the cool summer evening, as I ran barefoot across the lawn to cup my hands about a flickering firefly. It was feeling the sharp winds of autumn as my feet crunched through vibrantly colored leaves, and my neck snuggled deeper into my scarf. Faith was listening to the furnace creak on in the silent chill of my bedroom, knowing that just outside my window sparkly flakes fell softly. And it was the smell of spring, when the wet earth gave way to a fresh season of life. I recognized my spirit simply as a feeling; a fiery tingling deep in my gut that told me when I was experiencing a moment of greatness...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality
Sep
30
In Good Faith
Kathleen Pierce 09/30/08
Is our country in good hands? Will my son survive his run in the Air Force? Are they going to choose me for that job? Ten years ago these things would have left me sleepless at night and talking about it all day, but not anymore. It’s not that I don’t care about these things. I have just been blessed with a different outlook.
I grew up knowing there was a God but my real faith journey happened as an adult. My life was following my plans. I had a great job, a wonderful husband and two children, and I lived close to my family so I could see them any time. Then my husband was recruited into a different company which was a great opportunity for him...
I grew up knowing there was a God but my real faith journey happened as an adult. My life was following my plans. I had a great job, a wonderful husband and two children, and I lived close to my family so I could see them any time. Then my husband was recruited into a different company which was a great opportunity for him...
CATEGORY: Religion and Spirituality