My lovely wife shared a meme on her Facebook page a few days ago. It didn’t include an interesting or engaging picture. It was just a black screen with white text that read, “Halloween: a day when we get it right. Strangers come to us beautiful, ugly, odd or scary, and we accept them without question, compliment them, treat them kindly, and give them good things. Why don’t we live like that?”...
Rare is the moment when I struggle to find words. It’s not often that I actively avoid engaging in dialogue about just about anything. I’m not one to shy away from difficult discussions or unpopular truths. But, in this cultural moment, I am both struggling to find the words and have a deep desire to avoid addressing the issues. The continued stream of school shootings coupled with the...
We have a special refrigerator tucked away in a storage closet here at FBC. It is usually stocked with bottled water, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, and Sprite. The purpose of this refrigerator is to have a supply of beverages available for staff during the course of the work day and to offer to guests, when appropriate. Some of our younger Baptists go roaming about the church, from time to...
If being offended were an Olympic event, there would be some stiff competition for the gold. I’ll be honest; I was personally a little offended by the opening ceremony. I wasn’t offended because of any specific scene I witnessed, though the organizers definitely crossed lines of propriety from my perspective. I was offended because it was boring and confusing, and especially because they...
It’s likely that you have seen an artistic rendering of Lady Justice at some point in your life. It’s an important icon in American history and culture. She serves as a personification of the concept of justice and judgement. She is usually blindfolded and holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other. A lot of information is being communicated through this image. In our current...
Amazing Grace is arguably the most well-known hymn ever composed. Truly, a solid case could be made that it is the most well-known song in history across all genres (The Guinness book of world records lists Happy Birthday in the top spot). The song was composed by the Anglican clergyman John Newton in 1772. More than 250 years have passed since then and still this song is sung in churches around...
Few ideals, if any, are more valued in our current cultural climate than individuality. The great pursuit of past eras was to find one’s place within society. Today, we place a premium on discerning and highlighting what sets us apart. We all want to be spectacularly different… just like everybody else. Many have endeavored to discover where this shift in focus and drive took place. Most agree...
Just over a week ago, my nuclear family traveled to Puerto Rico to join with our family of faith for the Biennial Mission Summit of our denomination, the American Baptist Churches USA. It was an incredibly busy weekend of listening to reports from our missionaries and agencies, celebrating shared successes, recognizing areas that require improvement, and engaging in discussions to discern...
Towards the end of every month I receive a “special” document in my church mailbox requiring my attention. It is a credit card statement for my church expense card. Various items on the document will have been highlighted by the church business manager, thus indicating that action is required on my part. Each highlighted item represents a receipt that I have, to that point, failed to submit to...
Who doesn’t love seeing a beautiful rainbow in the sky? I know that a vast majority of people in the community of Seymour, Indiana are just as fascinated by them as I, because every time one appears in the Seymourian sky it dominates my social media feed for the next 24 hours. This leads me to believe that a vast majority of people do exactly as I do when I learn that a rainbow has appeared...
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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