by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Dec 31, 2019
When a machete-bearing assailant broke into a private Hasidic home to “get” the Jews who were celebrating Chanukah there, his move was both horrific and ironic. That the safety and merriment of a home could be violated by such hate is unthinkable. That it happened at...
by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Dec 17, 2019
If you are a last-minute leader, you’re not alone. You’re not the only one putting finishing touches on a worship service, sermon, play, piece of music, bulletin or outreach effort. In fact, you can be forgiven for thinking your timing is right in line with the...
by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Dec 3, 2019
The Advent the liturgy instructs us to pray—solemnly, hopefully, deeply—is “Come, Lord Jesus, come.” This hopeful prayer set against the backdrop of darkening days—both seasonally and politically —implies waiting with expectation. Yet I can’t help but wonder...
by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Nov 15, 2019
Gender and Christianity has been in the news the last couple of weeks. Specifically the role of women in church leadership. After telling wildly popular evangelical bible teacher Beth Moore to “go home,” influential fundamentalist preacher John MacArthur clarified...
by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Nov 12, 2019
At Shepherd of the Hills Church, it’s been a long time since the cries of children interrupted worship. That’s okay with this aging congregation. Although they miss younger people, they appreciate less commotion. If only they could get some responsible families,...
by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Nov 5, 2019
What’s the difference between a “disciple” and an “apostle?” The word disciple comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning scholar. A disciple is a student of Jesus’ whose primary focus is on mastering his teachings so that he or she can live out Jesus’ way. An apostle,...
