One of my first jobs was working at a wood shop owned by my Grandfather. Because I only worked during school breaks, there was very little skilled work for me to do. Most of my time was spent sitting at the end of a conveyor belt stacking freshly painted pieces, or standing at the back of a saw or molder stacking freshly cut wood. Most of these jobs were dependent upon another employee who could...
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” We have all, undoubtedly, heard, and likely used, this famous phrase at some point in our lives. It is, in my personal estimation, an indisputable truth. Failure is a definitive feature of the human experience. As hard as we may try, and as much as we might want to deny the truth, all of us make mistakes. We knowingly and unknowingly break rules and fail to...
When one thinks of the church, a wide range of thoughts and pictures probably flood the mind. Somewhere early in that deluge is probably the image of an actual church building. Perhaps it was the church you or a beloved family member attended when you were growing up. Maybe it was the location where an important, life-shaping event took place. Or, it could be that it was or is just a prominent...
You may not be familiar with the term leitmotif, but you are undoubtedly familiar with many of them. If you’ve watched any movies or television shows in the last 30 years, you’ve heard more than a few leitmotifs and probably have some personal favorites. A leitmotif is a short, repeating musical phrase associated with a person, setting, emotion, or theme. We might simply think of them as theme...
Jesus was a bit of a people watcher. There are several examples of Jesus observing the attitudes and actions of the people of His day available to us throughout the gospels. Several immediately come to mind, but one story in particular has always been extremely challenging to me. The story is known as The Widow’s Offering. It can be found in the gospels of Luke and Mark. Here is the telling of...
At what age do we begin to observe and understand the concepts of wealth and poverty? I’m not referring to the deep, philosophical concepts and systems surrounding these two polar twins; I’m talking about the basic observation that one’s own family is either rich or poor. Thinking back over the years of my own life, I had no idea whether my family was rich or poor when I was in preschool and...
When I was 17-years-old, I found myself on the wrong side of the law. As per usual, I was running a smidge late for school and my forward momentum was just north of the posted speed limit. Still, I was utterly shocked that the officer decided to pull me over on that fine morning rather than any number of my fellow commuters that were proceeding with equal or greater velocity. I remembered my...
The Wizard of Oz is arguably the most popular movie of all time. According to the Library of Congress, “[The Wizard of Oz] has been seen by more viewers than any other movie.” The same Library of Congress post notes that a poll by People Magazine declared it “the favorite movie of the twentieth century.” The film was originally released back in 1939, celebrating 84 years of existence this past...
In my years of pastoral ministry, I’ve officiated more funerals than I can count. Each of them, in various ways and to differing degrees, weighed heavily on my heart and mind. Even at times when the service was a celebration of a long life shared with a legion of well-loved family and friends in faithful service to the Savior, my heart hurts for and with the family and my mind strains to find the...
I often find myself reflecting back on friends I’ve had the privilege of knowing at various stages of my life. Over the years, I have lived in 3 states, attended at least 7 schools, and served in 5 churches. I’ve met and developed friendships with countless wonderful people, people whom I deeply love and whom were vital to my survival and success. It saddens me that I have been unable to maintain...
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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