Word from Wiese

Twelve Days of Christmas: A Dazzling Dozen

A Dazzling Dozen 18 December 2024 What’s your favorite (or least favorite) Christmas carol? A top answer to both questions is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” You should have heard our Hops & Hymns crew belt it out at Line Creek Brewery two Sunday nights ago! Even if one groans when invited to sing along, the story behind the song …

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Should We Go?

Should We Go? An Update on the Pastoral Search Process 11 December 2024 Should we go? Mary and Joseph knew Emperor Augustus issued  a census decree requiring them to travel to Bethlehem to be counted. But “should we go? Should we really risk the trip when Mary is so far along in her pregnancy?” The shepherds heard the dazzling angelic …

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Would the Real St. Nicholas Please Stand Up?

Would the Real St. Nicholas Please Stand Up? 4 December 2024 Trivia Question #1: If there really was a Saint Nicholas, he a. Worked in the reindeer ministry b. Didn’t grow up in Europe c. Attended services only on Christmas d. Didn’t trust organized religion but loved to pray while sledding on snowy days Trivia Question #2: If there really …

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Gobbling Gratitude

Gobbling Gratitude 27 November 2024 Dear Fellow Turkeys, Gobble Gobble. What if a turkey translator revealed “gobble gobble” meant “grateful, grateful”? Then turkeys would be some of the happiest creatures around, gobbling gratitude wherever they go. For in our gratitude, we experience peace, perspective, and positivity. Scripture states, “from the rising of the sun to the going down of the …

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Trifecta of Trials (They Come in Threes)

Trifecta of Trials (They Come in Threes) 20 November 2024 There’s an old adage that bad luck comes in sets of three. Such was the case for my wife LuAnne. A few weeks back, we were traveling on the highway when the car in front of us swerved violently to the left. Immediately, we viewed why. Several large pieces of …

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Squeeze

Squeeze 13 November 2024 The strongman at a circus squeezed the juice from a lemon between his hands. He then shouted to the audience, “I will offer $200 to anyone in the audience who can squeeze another drop from this lemon. A thin scholarly looking woman came forward, picked up the lemon, strained hard and managed to get one, two …

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Enjoy a Laugh

Enjoy a Laugh 6 November 2024 As I write this on Sunday, I don’t know who will win the election. Or I might say, “has won,” as you read this on Wednesday. Regarding the election results, about half of you are feeling pleased. The other half discouraged. As I wrote to you in my “Will You Be OK?” WFW on …

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Once and Never Again?

Once and Never Again? 30 October 2024   How many tasks in your life would you love to do once and never again? I wish I could eat one plate of broccoli to magically ingest all the vita mins my body will require for the rest of my life and never eat broccoli again. I wish I could floss my …

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What’s In the Gift Box?

What’s In the Gift Box? 23 October 2024 “What’s in the Gift Box?” On Sunday we launched our series exploring God’s call for us to be Stewards of God’s Mysteries, based on 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. “What’s In the Gift Box?” is our first mini-mystery. We didn’t need to call in Sherlock Holmes. We just opened up Scripture, together, and discovered …

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An Apostle from COS

An Apostle from COS 16 October 2024   What a delightful shot in the arm. My teacher wife, LuAnne, wanted to take advantage of her day off this past Monday and take a trip to Savannah for the weekend. The good news is that she invited me to join her. 😀 As part of our trip, LuAnne and I worshiped Sunday …