Preacher Cathy's Word and Witness

From Giants to Graces: The Fall and Restoration of David The Danger of Complacency Last week, we heard the story of David slaying the giant. This week, we see David defeated by another giant—himself. David, the man after God’s own heart, begins to get a bit too big in his own eyes. He loses his focus on God and begins to focus on his own desires. It starts when David decides to stay home instead of going out with his army. Remember, David had accomplished a lot: from a young shepherd to a fierce warrior, a gifted general, a poet, a compassionate king, and a wise ruler. His military victories were remarkable, his people followed him without question, and his devotion to God was an example to the whole country. Under his rule, the nation prospered. However, the Bible notes that spring is the time when kings go to war. War was a way of life for most nations back then, driven by border disputes, feuds, or desires for expansion. The nation had been very successful at war under David’s leade...

Being Different: The Calling We Often Resist There are some things from our youth we remember fondly, and some things we remember with a bit of a cringe. One of my personal cringe‑memories is bell‑bottom jeans. I hated them when they first arrived on the scene, but once everybody started wearing them, I got used to seeing them, and of course, wanting to fit in, I eventually wore them too. Two things stand out in my memory about those jeans. First, they were long. The bottoms always dragged on the ground, so they became frayed and ragged, which was apparently “fashionable.” Some people even cut the hems off so they’d fray faster. Second, those jeans were heavy when wet. I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, where we get about the same amount of snow as Buffalo. Go out in the snow wearing your lovely bell bottoms and they were instantly soaked, dragging through the slush. Once they froze, they felt like you were hauling around two icy sandbags. Not comfortable, but I guess you have to pay som...

October 8, 2017 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16 A big‑game hunter went on safari with his wife and mother‑in‑law. One evening, while they were still deep in the jungle, the wife awoke to find her mother missing. Rushing to her husband, she insisted they go look for her. The hunter picked up his rifle, took a swig of whiskey, and started searching. In a clearing not far from camp, they came upon a chilling sight: the mother‑in‑law was backed up against a thick, impenetrable bush, and a large male lion stood facing her. The wife cried, “What are we going to do?” “Nothing,” said the hunter. “The lion got himself into this mess, let him get himself out of it.” Another story: George went on vacation to the Middle East with his family, including his mother‑in‑law. While in Jerusalem, she passed away. With the death certificate in hand, ...

  October 1, 2017 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:19-22