A few weeks ago at Bethany, we had an all-church luncheon following our morning worship service. Our quarterly luncheons are one of my favorite activities at the church. It’s not just the food, which is always delicious, but the connection. It’s so encouraging to see people who have been here 2 weeks mingling with people who have been here 20+ years. One of our church values is to be “community embedded.” We define that as, “God desires intimate relationship with…
Last Tuesday I received a brief email in my church inbox from a Gmail account I didn’t recognize. It said, “I need to talk to you asap.” That’s it. I was instantly suspicious. Because my church email address is public on the church website, I frequently get phony or unsolicited emails- people phishing, random people asking for money, and tons of dubious links that I instantly delete. This email had all the markings of a fake, but I didn’t want…
A devotional by Mari Madonna We all can relate to misplacing something that’s important; our credit card, an invitation or worse our wallet. I am great for never knowing where I put my phone or glasses. I have glasses in every room but never seem to know where they may be! Recently, l misplaced the key my neighbor gave me to watch her house while she was away. I thought I knew exactly where I put it. When I found…