THE WISE MEN Read Matthew 2:1-12 (KJV) In April 1972, Gloria Youse began a Bible Study Class in her home, which later became the Sunshine Bible Class by mail because members who moved wanted to continue to study with the class.   In April 1976, my mother recruited me to participate in studying the Bible with Gloria.   In January of 1983, members received their first Sunshine Corner Newsletter in the mail.   This newsletter was a compilation of meditations, poems, testimonies, prayer requests, birthday wishes, recognitions of members who completed a course of study and devotions members wished to share with each other.   For twenty-three years members studied books of the Bible, received certificates of completion and awards in passing all of their lessons in a course of study.   Sadly, in 1995 due to decline in participation, the mailing of Bible study lessons and newsletters discontinued.   Twenty-five years passed since that last newsletter in 1995 bu...

  The Christmas Spirit   It is the evening of Christmas Day, December 2020.   If I am honest with myself, it did not “feel” like Christmas.   To help with getting into the Christmas spirit I bought my Christmas cards and mailed them out to family, friends and loved ones.   I did not buy the cards I would normally get because when I went to the place where I would buy a few boxes, I discovered it was no longer there - COVID.   I bought substitutes at a drug store, typed out a quick verse on labels and mailed them out.   Yep, trying to keep “the Christmas spirit.” My apartment in not decorated for the Christmas season.   The tree that is usually up and decorated is packed away still in the closet.   Why?   There is no room for a tree to be standing because my “make shift office is currently occupying the space.   I am working remotely from home.   My roommate, who has no room for an “office space” in his bedroom, occupies the...

  ALONE: NOT BY CHOICE   When I visit my Aunt, I look forward to attending Grace Community Church in Herndon, Pennsylvania.   At other times, I am attending a church close to my home in North Jersey.   However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, church attendance is mostly online via the Internet on Facebook or on YouTube.   Although I may be connected to Grace Community Church on Sundays attending via YouTube, it is just not the same as “being there.”   The interaction and fellowship with other believers as yourself brings a warm family feeling when everyone is together in worship in one place; you feel connected.   For most people it is no fun attending church virtually when you feel disconnected: “alone, not by choice.”   During the time of this COVID-19 pandemic, many people are forced to stay home and be safe and many may not even have the means to attend church virtually.   With winter imminent and the possibility that ma...

THEOLOGICAL CRISIS   A few weeks ago, I received a message from one of the members in our youth group of days gone by asking to comment on concerns raised while viewing a few Biblical documentaries.   One of the concerns was the challenge one faces in reading the Bible, distinguishing translations and interpretations from the original manual scripts; primarily the definition of words from one language to another based on one’s interpretation.   Before responding to this member’s concern, who I will refer to as CD, I had to re-read CD’s message.   CD started out by writing that he was having a “theological crisis.”   I had to laugh.   I am sure many of us in our own walk of faith are not immune to facing a “theological crisis” every now and then.   Not that we question God and who God is, but it is the challenges we face in our own faith; what we have come to believe and how living in our world causes us to reexamine our own beliefs.   How do...

MICRO-AGGRESSION: Our Human Condition? In these past few weeks, I learned about a new term that speaks to our human condition, Micro-aggression.   Micro-aggression, a word recently added to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary in 2017 is a term that was unfamiliar to me.   Below is the definition of micro-aggression from Webster’s dictionary. a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority) // A digital photo project run by a Fordham University student about "racial microaggressions " features minority students holding up signs with comments like "You're really pretty … for a dark-skin girl." — Jinnie Spiegler. //There is a real and worthy conversation taking place in this country now, particularly among young people, around the idea of micro-aggressions —slight, often unintended discriminatory comments or behaviors. — Charles M. B...

  MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT YOUTH   I spent my weekend, at my Aunt’s from Friday night to Sunday afternoon (January 24-26).   The goal was to install a program that would enable me to connect to my Aunt’s computer from home on those occasions when her computer would “act funny.”   I did not plan to be at my Aunt’s; not my regularly scheduled visits but thank God I did.   While at my Aunt’s I was able to participate in Grace Community Church’s worship service at which the Pastor’s son, Steve Weygand was to speak and be formally introduced to the congregation as their new Associate Pastor of Youth Ministry. The message on Sunday was from 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 where Paul (Saul of Tarsus) writes about the “misconceptions” the believers, the Church in Corinth had about their relationship with Christ.   Paul states that the believers were no longer who they were before Christ but are now “renewed” persons; having been reconciled to God through Christ.   S...

INJUSTICE Thursday, May 28, 2020 in the early evening, I was directed to view live on Facebook a protest in progress.   Reflecting upon the recent incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between Minneapolis Police Officers and a civilian that ended in the civilian’s death, the live footage caught my attention.   “What do we want? Justice!   When do we want it? Now!”   I am all for taking a stand against injustice.   I understand the anger, feelings and the emotions expressed by those victimized by discrimination, by racists attitudes and the abuses at the hands of others.   I understand we need to have a voice, to be heard loud and clear, to be respected as individuals and treated as equals.   All of us, no matter our race, gender, creed, or color have the same basic human needs.   We have the same human rights; with the same basis human rights and needs in common with others, to be treated as equals.   I understand that there is a need for...