THE GIVING OF THANKS The Rev. Brian E.Backstrand Aug 15, 2015 A few weeks ago, I learned that one of our long-time friends – whose name Jay is on our prayer list—had discovered that he had cancer. He had just retired as a professor at Rocky Mountain College in Montana when he noticed a … [Read more…]
THE STAFF OF LIFE The Rev. Brian E. Backstrand August 9, 2015 About seven months ago, now, Joanna Jolly of the BBC wrote an article the detailed one of the shifts in the American diet. Entitled, “Why Do Americans Love Ancient Grains?” the article was written in response to an explosion of popularity … [Read more…]
6 PENTECOST TWO JOURNEYS The Rev. Brian Backstrand July 5, 2015 The idea of a journey as a metaphor for our lives is pretty commonplace. And it’s pretty Biblical. The Bible is filled with stories of journeys from the journey of Abraham from Haran into a distant, unseen land to the journeys of missionaries like … [Read more…]
DAVID & GOLIATH The Rev. Brian E. Backstrand June 21, 2015 His height was six cubits and a span. Or four cubits and a span. Two different heights, because the manuscripts vary, but the same result—a giant. In one version of I Samuel 17, Goliath is 6 feet 9 inches. In another … [Read more…]