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Slaughterhouse Religion

Slaughterhouse Religion

“Slaughterhouse Religion.” That’s what my grandmother called the Old Testament sacrificial system. Grandma Matthes came out of mainline Methodism. She loved Jesus and, later in life, came to a fuller assurance of her salvation. But whenever she tried to read through the Bible, she would get bogged down in Leviticus. She’d arrive at the detailed description of the Old Testament sacrificial system— and that was as far as she could go. It was just too upsetting for her. Grandma had…

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Broken Fingers

Broken Fingers

Broken Fingers Reflections on how Adoption broke my fingers. Linda Fisher 1/28/2026 The break was necessary, crucial and fought mightily against. I had my passionate dreams. I had my plans. Life all planned out well to the smallest details. I told God my dreams. Large family. Color coordinated. Racially integrated. Raising orphans to reach other countries and cities that were so in need of the touch of GOD to better their lives. To bring the gospel. After child rearing years,…

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Last night Pam and I slept downstairs in our finished basement. When the thermometer dips toward the single digits, our heat pump just can’t keep up—especially in our upstairs bedroom that sits above an unheated garage. When I come down in the morning and the thermostat inside the house is reading in the 50s, I don’t need to check the weather app to know it’s cold outside. So once or twice a year, when the mercury really dives, one of…

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Sanctity of Life is for EVERYONE!

Sanctity of Life is for EVERYONE!

A devotion by Isaac Martin This week at Bethany, we will recognize Sanctity of Life Sunday. For each of us, this may bring up different thoughts or emotions. For some, it may stir passion and energy to see the end of abortion and to see unborn children saved from heartbreaking destruction—and rightly so. For others, it may surface painful feelings or shame because of an abortion in their past, for which there is grace and forgiveness. Or it may stir…

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God in the Fog

God in the Fog

Today was a glorious morning at my house. I stepped out the front door while it was still dark. The sky was partially clouded but full of promise—the kind of sky that tells you a beautiful sunrise is on the way. Soon the sun would crest Welsh Mountain and spill warmth across the wet, cold ground. I had an early morning appointment, and by the time I left my coffee meeting at Fireside Café, the sun was shining and a…

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Both/And

Both/And

The week between Christmas and New Year has a different feel to it.The rush is over. The decorations are still up. The calendar is thin. And nostalgia has a way of sneaking in. Nostalgia is a strange mix—wistful remembrances of times full of laughter and joy, and memories heavy with tears and grief. Life, it turns out, is almost always both/and. Sometimes our minds favor one side and push the other away. We question our own memories.Were things really that…

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With or Without?

With or Without?

Christmas is familiar—almost too familiar. We know the songs. We know the scenes. We know how the story goes. And familiarity has a way of dulling the weight of truth. One of the most radical claims of Christmas is found right at the beginning of the story, tucked into one of its very first scenes. One of the most glorious truths of the incarnation is contained in an ancient promise and a simple name. “All this took place to fulfill…

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Remembering Jeff Shisler

Remembering Jeff Shisler

The following is the remembrance I shared at the memorial service of my father-in-law, Jeff Shisler.  We are grateful for his legacy. ********** I have the privilege of remembering Dad on behalf of the sons-in-law, though I know Gene will share additional reflections later during the gospel message. One of the unique things about my relationship with Dad Shisler is that he knew me long before Pam and I were even together. Going to church here at Faith, our mothers…

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Sorrow This Christmas

Sorrow This Christmas

“…to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death.” — Luke 1:79 It’s a strange place to be—experiencing grief during the holidays. Christmas is supposed to feel light. Warm. Joyful. But sometimes it doesn’t. I have to confess, this is my first personal brush with grief at Christmas. Two years ago, we did a sermon series on The Colors of Christmas, and on the first Sunday of Advent we observed a “Blue Christmas,” acknowledging that for…

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When Blessings & Brokenness Collide

When Blessings & Brokenness Collide

This year my thankfulness has much greater dimension than it sometimes does. I’m counting my blessings against the ongoing recovery efforts down in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa. Pam and I have dear ministry friends down there who have suffered deeply. Back on October 28, the full brunt of a category 5 hurricane smashed into western Jamaica. Westmoreland, St. James Parish, and Montego Bay—where Bethany has served for several years through Jamaica Link—got absolutely hammered. The mountainous regions…

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