Author: Melissa

Posted in Christmas, Religion, Sunday Reflections

Advent Message of Hope

Posted on by Melissa

The drive to church this past Sunday was done in the midst of a gray, dreary morning. The drizzling rain on the windshield and the road did not provide a cheerful environment. But as I drove and contemplated on those surroundings I was reminded of what was in the backseat of my car. A bag. Inside the bag was a notebook. Inside the notebook was a sermon entitled Waiting with Hope. Also inside the notebook was an order of worship with a small graphic of a small solitary lit candle. A candle symbolizing Hope.

Life has its share of gray, dreary days. Sometimes those days stretch into weeks, months, even years. Yet in this journey of life we travel with a solitary light of Hope inside us. It sometimes shines so dim, that we can barely see it glimmer in the dark. But it is always there. We may try to distinguish it (consciously or subconsciously) with our doubts, worries, fears, anger, depression, or anxieties. Yet, while we are doing that there is a counter force hard at work keeping the flames of Hope lit inside us. The Holy Spirit is there tending to that fire.

I thought of all the survivalist shows I’ve seen where people build fires with tiny twigs and dry grass. Tenderly blowing small puffs of air when a small hint of smoke appears until the flame begins to brighten wherein they can blow stronger gusts of encouragement and add more and more kindling until the fire blazes strong and bright.

If you are experiencing a season of life marked by dark and dreary days, I pray that you will hold on to that promise of Hope. The light may be small. It may seemed tucked away in the backseat hiding in a notebook inside a bag that seems out of reach at the moment. Hold on to the promise that it is there. Trust that God through the work of the Holy Spirit is hard at work tending and breathing life into the flame even in those moments you don’t feel like you can contribute to the work. But as you can, pray, worship, read the Scripture. In doing so you can help add kindling to the fire and enable it to burn bright within you.

Posted in Book Review, Books

Reading Updates for Oct/Nov 2025

Posted on by Melissa

ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain

I honestly thought this was a re-read. However, I either never finished it earlier in my life or I completely forgot the last third of the book because I didn’t remember any of it. I chose to “re-read” it in preparation to read James by Percival Everett. The premise of that book is that it is written from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim in Huckleberry Finn. I know that for many the the dialogue and language in Twain’s book is problematic and harsh to modern day ears. Yet, if you can push beyond that aspect it really is a fascinating read and should remain, in my opinion, as considered a classic. In the end, what you find is that Twain is elevating Huck and Jim, who by society’s standards of the day are the least educated, morally suspect, and almost less than human characters to be seen as actually the most intelligent and righteous characters in the story. Their devotion and care to each other stands out. Their questioning and wrestling of how society works versus what they intuitively feel is right is prominent. I’m glad I re-read (well actually, finally finished) this book.

JAMES by Percival Everett

I am only about 1/3 of the way through this book. It is quite interesting to read it with Huckleberry Finn fresh in my mind. While it is not necessary to read Twain’s book prior to this one, I would recommend doing so if you get a chance. My journey to reading these two books came about because I saw that Percival Everett is scheduled to be one of the authors for the Lenoir-Rhyne Visiting Writer’s series in January of 2026. I am planning to attend that event and wanted to read this book prior to that. I can’t fully review a book I haven’t finished, but I will say that I am enjoying it so far and am looking forward to finishing it.

FREEWATER by Amina Luqman-Dawson

I chose this book to read simply because it was the 2023 Newbery Medal winner and it was available at the library the day I went searching for some books to read. One of my self-imposed reading goals is to read all of the Newbery Medal winners. It has been an interesting journey so far. You can see my progress here: Newbery Winners. I am about 2/3 of the way through reading this book. And I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. Interestingly enough this book too is about runaway slaves. It is the story of a brother and sister who initially tried to escape with their mother. Their mother due to circumstances was left behind and captured. The two young children find themselves taken in by other escaped slaves who have developed a community living in a nearby swamp. Though Freewater, as it is called, is a fictional place the book is “inspired by the Great Dismal Swamp and the enslaved souls who found refuge and freedom within its confines” which stretched “over fifteen hundred square miles” from Virginia to North Carolina. This was a part of history that I had never heard of before. Even though it is a book written with an audience of young children up to the age of 14, I would highly recommend adults read this as well. It is very rich, deep, and informative.

TO LOVE AS GOD LOVES by Roberta C. Bondi

This was an assigned book for one of my Course of Study books for a class on theology. Its subtitle is “Conversations with the Early Church.” And indeed it is. The book’s premise is to be in dialogue with the writings of early church fathers and mothers, many of whom who chose a monastic lifestyle. The book touches on the subjects of Love, Humility, Passions [what we would recognize as the deadly sins], Prayer, and God. It was a really good and informative read that invites one to engage in those subjects in a new way. From the beginning the author states that agreement with the early ancients is not required because our modern day understanding and thinking is going to of course be different. However, their writings still have much truth to teach us and at least spur us to think about things in a different way. The book is both very accessible to an average lay reader but also provides an avenue to topics and thinking for those who want to go deeper in their theological thoughts.

THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS by Robert Louis Wilken

This too was a book assigned for my recent Course of Study class on Theology. Subtitled “A Global History of Christianity,” this may appear at first glance to be quite an imposing (one might say boring) book to tackle. Yet, this one too has a very good balance of deep historical knowledge but is presented in a way that is accessible to most readers. I say most readers only to say that I think one must have at least a passing interest and curiosity into the history of Christianity from its early beginnings to enjoy reading this book. Wilken, like Bondi above, is able to balance a telling of deep rich heritage within a writing syle that is accessible and understandable. Not that it is a light read to take on a beach vacation for light enjoyment. But it is presented in a way that is not overwhelming to a reader who is interested in this subject and ready to engage with it.

To sum up, this is part of what my brain has been engaged in recently. Hope this is helpful to some one. If none of these books spark your interest, maybe my next set of reading material will. I’ll share that when I can. Otherwise, at minimum will you at least take my advice and read something? Please! Society as a whole is reading less and well, I think in many ways it is beginning to show.

Posted in Book Review, Books

MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER: McMASTERS GUIDE TO HOMICIDE by Rupert Holmes

Posted on by Melissa

Most murder mysteries start with the victim and then the rest of the story revolves around trying to discover who committed the crime. This book flips that on it’s head. Instead, we start by knowing who the murderers (or deletists as they are referred to) are from the beginning. The mystery, or the question left to be answered, is whether the three deletists will be successful in their endeavors.

The premise of the book is that Dean Harbinger Harrow of McMasters Conservatory, a secretive and secluded educational institution dedicated to the teaching of the homicidal arts, has endeavored to share the accounts of three of their students as case studies. The reader is invited to follow along with Cliff Iverson, Gemma Lindley, and Doria Maye as they each develop their individual thesis (that is how they plan to murder/delete their subject), attend classes to learn best methods and how not to get caught, and then observe the success or failure of the execution of their plan.

Admittedly, a part of me has some qualms about both the fact I enjoyed this book and am suggesting to others to read it as well. My moral code does not in any way endorse the act of murder. And if I thought that this book would indeed drive someone to consider such an action, I would not heartily recommend adding it to one’s reading list.

The fact is, that it is entertaining, engaging and a creative piece of work. The pages are full of puns and wordplays which elicited a lot of smiles, chuckles, laughter, and the occasional groan – which in my world is one of the highest praises for a well crafted pun. This is all done under the guise of what the narrator is purporting to put forth as a serious, sober, professional, and high-minded account and treatise on the purpose of this particular unique educational training.

Additionally, it it’s own darkly comic way the book does indeed pose questions of morality, friendship, loyalty, and obligations to family and friends. Again, I had to do some soul-searching as I found myself often hoping to see the three murderers/deletists successfully graduate by completing their murder/thesis.

Lastly, the twists and turns that take the reader by surprise are also well-crafted. They are plausible, well-timed, and if they were fore-shadowed (I would have to re-read the book to determine if I missed anything) it was done very subtly. I truly found myself not being able – and something rare for me – not even wanting to try to figure out what was coming ahead. I was able to just let myself drift along wherever to plot stream took me.

If you have found yourself stuck in, or at least gravitating to, a particular genre of reading lately, then I highly recommend adding this one to your list. It was an enjoyable trek down a different reading path for me and may be the same for you as well.

Posted in Personal Thoughts, Religion

Again

Posted on by Melissa

The pastor of my home church asked me to fill in for him for the two Tuesday Bible Studies for his Charge while he was out of town. I used the July 10th, 2024 devotional reading, from The Upper Room Daily Devotional along with their provided discussion guide questions for our study.

In addition to that resource, I also included some of my own thoughts and observations on the Scripture text, Psalm 71. I share those here and now with you:

Repetition of Word “Again” (Verses 20-21)
• “Revive me again”
• “Bring me up again”
• “Increase my Honor and Comfort me once again”
In our ailments, pains, and distresses it’s very easy to fall into the trap of only seeing the present troubles and infirmities. This Psalm reminds us to take time to remember and recall God’s faithfulness and deliverance in times past. Don’t be afraid to ask and pray to God a simple prayer requesting “Again.” That one-word prayer can express a lot. It tells God you remember the past help and past answered prayers supplied in your earlier years. It also offers a simple plea for God to do it again. This one word prayer expresses: Gratitude / Thankfulness / Praise / Request.

Psalm 71 encompasses our whole life and its stages along the way.
• Verse 6 – “Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.”
• Verse 17 – “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.”
• Verse 9 – “Do not cast me off in time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.”
• Verse 18 – “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come.”

While there is a personal prayer of remembrance and plea embedded in this Psalm, verse 18 reminds us that our faith and our testimony is not just to be used in our personal lives and trials. We are reminded that to be beloved and called by God is a call into a community and to outreach to others. We are “to proclaim (God’s) might to all the generations to come.”

We often like to celebrate, highlight, encourage, and fund the contributions of Youth and the excitement and exuberance they bring to a church community. Yet, we must never do so at the expense of what older members can contribute as well. First, and foremost, their wisdom from lived experience. Secondly, the reminder and example that with God strength and renewal is possible at all ages.

Posted in Book Review, Books

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

Posted on by Melissa

Hitty is a small wooden doll of about 6 inches with movable arms and legs made from white ash by a peddler for the daughter of a sea captain in the 1820s. Now residing in an antique store in the 1920s, she has put pen to paper and written the memoirs of her various adventures and travels. This book was the 1930 winner of the Newbery Medal given for children’s literature and was inspired by a doll owned by the author Rachel Field.

I can say as a child I probably never would have read this book and would have given the stink-eye to any librarian who suggested it for me. I was not the kind of young girl who played with dolls. I only picked up and read this book because of my goal of reading all the Newbery Medal winners throughout the years. As an adult I am still not a “doll” person, yet I did find this to be an interesting story to read. I could see how the appeal of a tale from a doll’s perspective could be intriguing to a youngster who does like to play with dolls. And perhaps even to an older individual who collects dolls as a hobby.

Written from the first person view of the doll is a creative and imaginative decision by the author. Within the accounts of her adventures the reader is giving small glimpses into changes of society throughout Hitty’s hundred years of life. Over that span of time she travels by carriage, whaling ship, train, and finally in an automobile. She comments on the various thrills, excitement, and fear that each of these evoke from her. She ends up living in places such as Maine, India, New England, and New Orleans. Likewise, as she finds herself passing from owner to owner, mostly by being lost by one and then found by another, she remarks on the changes in clothes that people wear, family dynamics, and social issues of the day. Obviously, none of this is delved into very deeply by the author, but again I found the idea of seeing such changes through the doll as an impartial and outside observer an interesting way to view such things. As a book for children, it at the least might have inspired them to want to learn more about some part of history or culture that is only lightly touched upon within it’s pages.

As a book written in 1929, it must be noted that it does contain some dialect ascribed to certain characters and words ascribed to natives of an island that may seem offensive to modern readers. An astute and mature reader can, or at least in my opinion should, be able to take such things in stride and take into account the always changing attitudes in what is the norm of a certain period of time. I personally, don’t even think these few problematic passages are enough to “corrupt” the thinking or attitude of a young reader today. But I also admit I am not an expert in childhood development nor am I a children’s librarian with experience and knowledge on what books are best to recommend to children.

All I can say is that as an adult reader (and secret aspiring writer) I found the story idea unique and well-written and well-crafted.

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Posted in Christmas, Religion, Sunday Reflections

Are You Ready for Christ(mas)?

Posted on by Melissa

Following is the text of my Sermon for the 1st Sunday of Advent on December 3, 2023

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9

Are you ready for Christmas? I’m sure by this point everyone has both asked that question of others and  been asked that question by other people. The typical answers people provide usually run along the lines of recounting how many presents have been bought, how many decorations have been put up, how many baked goods have been prepared, how many party plans have been made and things such as that. All good answers. However, there is a more important question that should be considered during this time. That is this: Are you ready for Christ? This is the first Sunday of Advent. This is a time of waiting and preparation. This is a time when we are invited to once again look for and anticipate a new understanding of the mystery and the wonder of the Incarnation, the coming of Emmanuel with us. God in the flesh to dwell and exist with and among us in a new way.

This morning we lit the Candle of Hope. We must start the time of Advent with a focus on Hope. We must cultivate an attitude of Hope to be ready to continue the preparation to look for the Peace, Joy, and Love that is also being presented and offered during this time. When people feel hopeless, they aren’t in a place to be ready to expect good things. So, we must begin with Hope.

At first, this Scripture from Isaiah doesn’t seem to be a good choice for a message of hope. It is a message of lament. A cry of desperation in the midst of trouble. Where is the hope? It’s there. And we will get to it. But first, it helps to know the context of this passage of Isaiah. The prophet’s words come during the time of the Israelites return from exile. They have returned to their land but things aren’t all back to the glory days yet. The temple has not been rebuilt. They are not feeling God’s presence in a powerful way. We started with the words, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence.” Isaiah, on behalf of the people, is imploring God to make his presence known in a powerful and unmistakable way. I think we can all relate to that feeling. We all have moments when we are waiting to hear a message from God and we long to have it delivered in a way that makes it clear and easy to receive. I know I have longed for that in my life many times when I feel God has been too silent and too quiet for too long.

When I read that passage it brought to mind one specific Christmas memory from my childhood. It was the year I had requested that Santa bring me a typewriter as my gift. I woke up Christmas morning and there it was. That was exciting enough to see. But to top it off, there was a sheet of paper loaded in the typewriter with a note from Santa thanking us for the cookies and milk and wishing us a Merry Christmas. A personal message from Santa Clause – now that was really exciting. Not to mention that now I had proof that he existed for all those doubters in my life. So, while I read these words in Isaiah, I thought how I would rewrite and reword it in my own words. I would say, “O that you would open my computer and come down and compose a letter, email or text message to show me your presence.” It would be helpful at times to hear so directly from God.

Isaiah continues and reminds God of the awesome deeds of the past and how the mountains had quaked at his presence. But, it had been a long time since things like that had taken place. Now, Isaiah does declare and admit and confess on behalf of the people why that is true. The people had sinned, they had turned away from God, they had been full of iniquity. They were not blameless. They were deserving of punishment and correction from God. But, Isaiah doesn’t stop there. He goes one step further. He implicates God as part of the problem as well. In verse 5 he says, “But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed.” He doesn’t completely say it’s God’s fault necessarily. But, in what I see has a kind of gutsy move, he does imply that God can’t ignore his role in this situation as well. What I hear in these words is Isaiah saying something along the lines of, “Look God, you know how we people are. You know we have trouble always being obedient. We are prone to make bad decisions and stray from the right path. When you hide yourself from us you should expect and know by now that on our own, things are going to get worse.” Isaiah is not exactly trying to excuse the people’s misbehavior and sin. He is acknowledging that this relationship is broken and in shambles. And he is saying that both parties have had a role in that.

Again, so far, we don’t see much of a message of hope in these words of lamentation. Isaiah continues in verse 6 and admits the people “have all become like one who is unclean” and their “righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth” and they “all fade like a leaf” and their “iniquities, like the wind” have taken them away. Yep, not seeing too much hope in those words.

It is in verse 8 when we finally begin to see a turn. It is here that Isaiah’s words become less lamentation and more of a plea. It is here that we begin to see a message of hope. This turn begins with a very powerful three letter word. Isaiah says, “Yet.” It’s a small but powerful word that signals a change in tone. It is what begins to offer a small glimmer of light in a dark situation. Despite the mess, despite the troubles, despite the desperate situation Isaiah expresses the hope that things not only can change but that they will change. Hear the words of verse 8, “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” This harkens to a similar passage, which is one of my favorites, in Jeremiah where that prophet is sent to the potter’s house to receive the message and lesson that it is God who shapes and molds us. What a wonderful and personal image of God. This is an image of an up close and personal God directly involved in our lives. I hope you have at some time seen either in person or a video of someone working at a pottery wheel. It’s a messy, hands-on process. Initially, the process is not so much violent, but is intense. The potter begins by slapping the mixture of clay and water together and begins to form a rough outline of whatever the work is meant to be. Then as the process continues, the work becomes more delicate and focused on minor details. That is how God works in our own lives. First, it is in a broad manner. The purpose is to awaken in us an awareness of who God is and how he loves us and more importantly our need and dependence on him. Then as we continue to yield ourselves, our plans, and our decisions to his guidance God then begins the more delicate workings in our lives, gently and lovingly making us into the uniquely designed image of the Creator he has destined for us.

Therein, lies our hope. A loving God who wants to be that close and involved in our lives. And to do that, he sent Jesus, the Word made flesh, into this world as a tiny baby in a manger. The God who has the power to tear open the heavens and make the mountains quake in his Presence, instead decided to enter this world as a helpless little child. This willingness to so embody himself to truly experience what we experience is an amazing example of love. We talk often of Jesus and his willingness to die for us. But it starts here. It starts with him willing to live with us. To live with humanity in all of its messiness, struggles, and trials.

The author C. S. Lewis wrote:

God could, had he pleased, have been incarnate in a man of iron nerves, the Stoic sort who lets no sigh escape him. Of his great humility he chose to be incarnate in a man of delicate sensibilities who wept at the grave of Lazarus and sweated blood in Gethsemane. . . . He has faced all that the weakest of us face, has shared not only the strength of our nature but every weakness of it except sin. If he had been incarnate in a man of immense natural courage, that would have been for many of us almost the same as his not being incarnate at all.

Hope. The Israelites hoped for and waited for the coming of their promised Savior. Remembering their time of hoping and waiting and learning and drawing on the inspiration of the faith they exemplified is part of what we are doing during this time of Advent. Admittedly, their moments of faith had its ups and downs and highs and lows. But, we can learn lessons from both their successes and their failures. Their hope was realized on that holy night of Christ’s birth.

And as I thought of all that time of hoping and waiting, I couldn’t help but leap forward a little in the story of Jesus’ birth narrative. Not far. Just forty days after his birth. That was when we read of his presentation at the temple by Joseph and Mary the purpose of which was to fulfill Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth and to perform the redemption of the firstborn which was in obedience to the Law of Moses. Hear this account of what happened while they were there.

From Luke 2:25-32

 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

At this moment in time Simeon represents and embodies all of that time of hoping and waiting. He had righteously and devoutly committed himself to the waiting of the consolation of Israel. Led by the Holy Spirit he showed up at the temple courts at the time the child Jesus was brought in. And he took the child in his arms, praised God, and said he could now be dismissed in peace because his eyes had seen God’s salvation. Think about that. Not only had he seen God’s salvation, but Simeon had also literally held the Hope of the World in his arms.

Hope. I said part of Advent is remembering Israel’s time of hoping and waiting. The other part is acknowledging our current period of hoping and waiting. We know the story of Jesus. We know how the rest of it ends. We know that the salvation work of the Cross has been accomplished. So, our hoping and our waiting are different. We are hoping and waiting for the return of Christ in his glory to fully redeem and restore the world and all of humanity. So we hope and we wait. But we don’t sit back and wait passively. It is time of active waiting and preparation.

As we heard at the end of the song In the Bleak Midwinter sung earlier in the service, give God what only you can give. Give him your heart.

Be open to letting the Potter mold you.

And know that like Simeon we can hold the Hope of the World in our arms. Not in a literal sense has he did. But still, as we look for a new revelation and understand of hope remember the Hope of the World is present with us here today.

I end with the question I began with. Are you ready for Christmas? More importantly are you ready for Christ? Are you ready to meet him once again anew and in a fresh way?

Posted in Christmas, Personal Thoughts, Religion

Waiting to Hear from God

Posted on by Melissa

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence –

Isaiah 64:1

While I am fortunate that I have many fond Christmases memories from my childhood, this year I have thinking about the year I got a typewriter from Santa Claus. I don’t remember how old I was. Now, it was not a fancy professional typewriter that one would find in a business office. Yet, it was more than just a toy typewriter. It was fully functional with a ribbon and held regular size paper. What made the gift more awesome that year was that Santa actually took the time to type out a short little note with it and leave it sitting in the typewriter. If I had ever doubted his existence, I didn’t that year – because I had proof!

I loved watching The Waltons when I was growing up. (Actually, I still do.) John Boy was my favorite character. I harbored a dream of growing up to be a female John Boy spending afternoons and evenings sitting at a desk typing away and producing pages and pages of insightful writing. I guess in a way that dream has come true. I have spent a lot of my life writing. Journaling, blogging here, writing for the church newsletter, and now as a pastor writing a weekly sermon. The determination of whether all those pages of writing are insightful or not I guess is left to others.

As I’m sitting here planning and working on my sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, I feel drawn to the Isaiah 64:1-9 portion of the Lectionary Readings. And as I read the first verse where Isaiah cries out, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,” I thought of how often I too cry out to God wanting to feel a powerful unmistakable feeling of the Divine Presence. And even more, a clear and discernible word telling me what to do, where to go, and how to be. If I could be allowed to re-write Isaiah’s words in my own way I would say, “O that you would open my computer and leave me a written note, text, or letter.” I mean, if Santa can do it I know God can do it.

And while I do believe, because I have proof of it as well from past experiences, God does speak to us and does give us messages it doesn’t always happen as clearly and visibly as I would like it to. Advent is a time of waiting. But it’s a time of active waiting. Advent invites us to wait and seek a new inspiration of a message of Hope from God. We hope to be encouraged by God’s Peace, Joy, and Love that is provided to us. And we hope to be inspired to find ways to continue to share that with others.

And so I will wait. But, as I wait I will remember and reflect on verse 8 of Isaiah 64: “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” As I wait I will be open to being reshaped and remolded as a vessel of God’s work. I will let God continue to make me what God wants me to be. And I’ll keep checking my computer for a special typed note. Well, because you just never know.