Pastor Brian's Blog

If you know anything about the Medici family, you probably know they supported the arts during the Italian Renaissance.  Artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci enjoyed the patronage of the Medici family.  The Medicis also commissioned Piero del Pollaiuolo and Sandro Botticelli to paint The Seven Virtues, seen in the picture.  The seven life-size panels decorated the Mercatanzia high courtroom in Florence, a place where trade disputes and financial matters were settled.  The beautiful enthroned women personify faith, hope, and love (theological virtues) and courage, prudence, temperance, and justice (cardinal virtues).  The size and placement of the panels indicate the importance of virtue in such “worldly” economic matters as commerce and banking.  The figures in The Seven Virtues are wearing clothes that were typical for noble women in fifteenth-century Florence.  It is the artists’ way of declaring the importance of vi...

After Easter, I will be leading a new 8-week series called “The Wisdom of Winnie the Pooh.” During the series, we will explore Christian virtues through the adventures of Pooh Bear and his friends.  Each week, we will focus on a specific character from the Hundred Acre Wood. Connecting these playful character studies to the message of Scripture can show us something deeper about the Christian life from Pooh’s trusting nature and Piglet’s courage in the face of fear to Eeyore’s realism and Tigger’s joyful exuberance. Just as Pooh loves his honey, the Bible sweetens life for us: “Your word is so pleasing to my taste buds—it’s sweeter than honey in my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103, CEB). The underlying wisdom of Winnie the Pooh, according to Bruce Epperly, is a “gentle providence” that connects each moment of life with our “original wholeness.” 1   April 28   Pooh Bear Mark 10:23-31 May 5 (Communion/Confirmation)   Christopher Robin   Matthew 18:1-5 ...

One of my favorite signs of spring is the emergence of wildflowers, like the Virginia bluebells in the picture.   Spring flowers bring a welcome splash of color to my yard after a nearly colorless winter.   The earliest wildflowers signal the renewal of life that comes with spring. Easter is about such a renewal.   It is a celebration of the new life God offers in Jesus, who died and was raised to life again.   But Easter is more than the cyclical return of a meteorological season.   Yes, we can see the hope and anticipation of Easter in the season of spring.   However, Easter is more than the repetition of the same options we experienced last year. With Easter, we celebrate the transformation of life into new life.   The apostle Paul notes that the raising of Jesus Christ applies to us as well as to Christ (Romans 6:5).   His resurrection transforms our vulnerable and mortal human nature.   We are raised with Christ and...