The Feeding of the 5,000 is also known as the "miracle of the five loaves and two fish"; the Gospel of John reports that Jesus used five loaves and two fish supplied by a boy to feed a multitude. Jesus had been working many hours and preaching and healing many people also. He became tired and withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. The crowds followed Jesus on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said,…

We may think that the Church and its numbers, power and influence are dwindling. That what the Church does and says is not important to people in their daily lives. That nobody cares about the bible anymore. But now as much as any time in our culture people are emotionally, socially, and politically connected to those who ‘speak for god.’ People passionately make choices, influence decisions, and empower actions following the ‘inspiration’ of these ‘god speakers.’ It matters. It matters what the Church says. My heart is crushed when I realize I am heir to an organization which has encouraged…

There is a growing crisis in the culture of the Western Church. We can see this crisis manifest in various ways throughout different denominations, churches, and believers. It is the crisis of Christian immaturity. Now, this is not a crisis that is unique to our culture or even our time. Churches from the beginning faced this crisis for many different reasons. The Letter to the Hebrews focuses on just this issue. The author says, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by…

Last summer, in July, I adopted a dog from the Herkimer County Humane Society who I renamed Freya. She is a Lab mix. She is a sweet girl, but one thing I’ve had some trouble with her over is that she has not understood that it’s not okay to go to the bathroom in the house. I knew that the shelter here in New York had taken her in from a shelter in Louisiana, so I contacted that shelter to see if they could give me any more information on her background in order to help me understand what was…

The Gospel of Luke, in the second chapter records the birth of Jesus.  It tells the story of how his young parents made their way to Bethlehem, the house of bread, to give birth to a savior.  We know this beloved story and many of us can say it by heart, having heard it, at least in part, each year in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.  But there is much in the story that is left to our imaginations.  Young Mary and her betrothed were likely tired from traveling, frustrated at the lack of accommodations, and frightened about what the…

By REV. DAVID E. SMITH For many of us these are difficult times. For some COVID has taken the life of loved ones, for others it has met isolation from loved ones who reside in facilities closed to visitors, still others feel they must avoid activities that provided a source of companionship and comfort because of underlying health concerns. As bad as it was, we drew some comfort in thinking that it would soon be over but it has dragged on and on. We are tired and long for a return to pre-COVID times. In times such as these it…