Some of the songs we call Christmas songs would more rightly be called winter songs. Songs like Let It Snow, Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, and Walking In A Winter Wonderland are really focused on enjoying the winter weather. Baby, It’s Cold Outside also fits into this category of songs. Rather than celebrating the wintry conditions, however, a concerned boyfriend attempts to dissuade his lady love...
Athletics have become an important feature of the American social experience. Gyms, stadiums, and ball fields have become crucial connecting points where people gather with friends and family, rally around shared interests and affinities, and loudly explain to those on the playing surface how they are doing it wrong and how it could be done better. We call this practice “Armchair...
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” You’ve likely heard this American proverb at some point in your life. No one is certain from whence this little nugget of wisdom came. The truth the phrase is intended to communicate, however, is widely understood and accepted: The loudest problems and most noticeable problems are the most likely to get the most attention. In many areas of my own life, I have...
In February of 1964, Bob Dylan famously sang, “…the times they are a-changin’.” At the time, Robyn’s Nana was 40 years old. Nana doesn’t strike me as the Bob Dylan type, but the truth of Mr. Dylan’s lyric must have rung true to her then. They undoubtedly resonate in her soul all these years later. Nana recently turned 100 years old. It’s quite an amazing accomplishment. Living many years is a...
For several years I served at a Methodist church with a traditional, liturgical service. A constant feature of most Sunday services was a congregational recitation of The Lord’s Prayer. Even visitors who rarely darkened the doors of a church could not only recite it, but had strong feelings about the preferred wording that should be used. It is one of the few times when both young and old often...
There are a great many things that I love about the winter months. While I don’t enjoy being cold, I do enjoy dressing in layers and I am particularly fond of stocking hats, puffer vests, and sweaters of all kinds, but especially of the Christmas variety. I enjoy sitting under blankets watching movies and shows with the fam. And, while we have not been blessed with much of it in recent years, I...
Do you remember doing connect-the-dots puzzles when you were a kid? I remember doing several throughout my scholastic career. In early education, they are often used to help children learn to count. And in later years, they are sure signs that you have a substitute or the teacher doesn’t have a plan of action for the day. Whatever that rationale, I always loved doing them, particularly the more...
On Good Friday, April 19, 2019, our church choir presented an Easter cantata. Following the performance, as I was congratulating our worship pastor, Nathan Parker, I mentioned that it would be cool if we could find a musical that would allow us to utilize both the choir and the worship team in the future. Without missing a beat, Nathan looked at me and said, “We should write a Christmas cantata.”...
Of all the Christmas decorations that adorn shelves, tables, and lawns, few are as saturated with meaning as a Nativity Scene. It a visual reminder of the true reason for the season and one need not go far to find one. Just this morning I have seen no less than a dozen representations of the nativity. As I sit here in my office, there are three in my immediate field of vision. All of them...
If you take a drive around Seymour, Indiana, the signs of the season are starting to show. Men and women across this small town have made the trek into the inner recesses of their attics, garages, and various other storage areas to retrieve their holiday decorations so that they can begin the process of preparing for the coming festivities. The most wonderful time of the year is almost here! The...
Jeremy Myers is the Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church of Seymour, Indiana, where he has served since 2017. He has over 25 years of experience in local church ministry and not-for-profit leadership. He has a passion for helping emerging and existing generations learn to make space for each other and caring for the under-served and marginalized. In 2016, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Palmer Theological Seminary, with his thesis focusing on developing connections between senior adults and youth in the church. He is a passionate and gifted communicator and is regularly invited to speak at retreats, camps, conferences, and other events. He lives in Seymour, Indiana with his wife Robyn, their two children, Mikayla and JJ, and their Golden Doodle, Evie.
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