December 26 is known as boxing day. For most of my life (until yesterday, actually), I believed this was a holiday created by all of the Scrooges, Grinches, and Cheer-Misers of the world to apply pressure to abruptly and immediately end the Christmas celebration the day after the holiday proper. It made perfect sense in my head. What could a day called Boxing Day be about, but dragging out all of...
My family and I are making our yearly trek through the plethora of classic Christmas movies. It would be an exceedingly difficult task for me to choose a single movie as my “favorite.” Each of them plays a part in helping me remember an important aspect or idea of the Christmas season and challenges or encourages me. One such movie is Disney’s animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas...
Right up until the moment Jesus ascended to Heaven, the disciples believed they were going to participate in a revolution. They, like most of their peers, believed that the promised Messiah/Christ would initiate the coming of God’s kingdom through force and overwhelming power. They believed they were going to help overthrow the evil forces of this world, which, at the time, was personified by the...
The United States of America strikes me as somewhat of a misnomer these days. There have always been a variety of differences and points of divergence between portions of the population. Regional perspectives often caused a certain amount of variation in understanding and expectation. But, there did seem to exist a certain level of societal grace and cordiality that allowed us to foster a...
The Elkhart County Fair was one of the highlights of my summer every year as I was growing up. Much like our Jackson County Fair, my hometown fair is exceptionally large and includes a substantial midway with a large number of rides. Again, much like Jackson County, there were various times and days when one could purchase a wristband to ride the rides ad nauseam (at the time it was only $5 a...
One of the highlights of my summer every year for the last decade and change has been joining young people from around the country to serve the folks in various communities with an organization called Mission Serve. “Mission Serve seeks to strengthen neighborhoods by partnering with organizations and empowering individuals to address physical, spiritual, and emotional needs through volunteerism...
Last week, the Seymour High School Varsity Chorale performed their yearly musical, Mary Poppins. It was amazing to be in a theater with other people enjoying a live performance. Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed a novice oboe player squeaking their way through scales just for the small joy of a live concert experience. The musical fare, however, was anything but basic. It was exceptional...
I once saw a shirt at a cross country meet that read, “My sport is your sport’s punishment.” I literally laughed out loud as I read it. It’s one of those instances when something is funny because it’s true. In most athletic pursuits, running is a means to an end, not the end itself. Running is used to condition a body, to prepare it for the rigors of athletic competition. It strengthens the...
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.” I have the utmost confidence that all of us have either heard or uttered some variation of this phrase at some point in our lives. While the grammatical integrity of the statement is suspect, the personal integrity it encourages is above reproach. Generally, when the phrase is utilized in conversation it will be directly preceded by “My...
It’s that time of year again. Time for all the ghouls and goblins to make their way out to haunt the world. No, I’m not talking about the forthcoming children’s holiday, when kids get dressed up in costumes and request candy from their kind-hearted neighbors. That happening carries with it joy, community, and cooperation. It is election season and it is coming in hot. It brings with it division...
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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