Bill Teague’s lpc e-pistle

Good Habits in a New Year: Daily Devotionals
 
Earlier this month I asked you let me know if there is a particular daily devotional resource that you have found helpful in your walk with Christ.  Thanks to the many of you who responded. In fact, the response was so large that I will not be able to share all the input I received. 
 
For some of us a daily devotional guide is as much a part of our morning or evening routine as brushing our teeth or feeding the dog. For others of us daily devotions are in the same category as the “ten pounds I’ll lose this year” or the “less time watching TV” resolutions that just don’t get kept. For others of us the thought of waking up to a word from the Word is a brand new idea.  Continue Reading »

The Gift of Family
 
Those of you who read my Facebook postings know that my current status is “Looking forward to a house full of family! The invasion begins Tuesday.” We can hardly wait. It will be a very welcome invasion. This will be the first time all seven of us – three children, two children-in-law, and Becky and me – will be all together under our Langhorne roof.  We can hardly wait (or did I already tell you that?). Continue Reading »

Joy
   
The third candle of Advent will be lit this Sunday.  By tradition it is the pink candle, marking what is known at Gaudete Sunday in the high churches.  Gaudete is Latin for joy and Gaudete Sunday signifiies the half-way point in the Advent season of waiting.  Especially this year our Advent preaching has focused on the lectionary texts from the prophets and the words have been strong words of anticipation that look more to the yet to come second advent of Christ than to the already first advent of the Savior. The day of the Lord is described as “terrible” and “bitter.”  “Who can endure the day of his coming?” Malachi asked in last Sunday’s text. Continue Reading »

Three Short Takes
 
1. I am using the Advent devotions from the booklet provided by our Adult Ministries program. The daily meditations in “A Grand Miracle” are based on a verse of Scripture and short reading from Christian writer C.S. Lewis and then a paragraph or two by compiler of the book himself. I find devotions to be insightful and helpful in these early days of our journey to Bethlehem’s manger. There are still copies available in the Chapel and Sanctuary and it’s not too late to make “A Grand Miracle” part of your Advent preparations.
 
And speaking of devotions, I am planning to offer some recommendations for those looking to begin the discipline of daily devotions or who are looking for new devotional resources for the new year.  If you have found a particular source – online or hard copy – the be helpful, would you please let me know.  Author and title should be enough.  You can respond by using the contact form (click here). Continue Reading »