Category: Uncategorized

For more than 20 years, I have lived on an island without a bridge, and I would not change that for the world.  No one made us move here, and no one is forcing us to stay.  Frankly, we just consider ourselves to be blessed to be here.  Nearly everything about this community fits us,… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective April 23, 2026

One of the major roles of a pastor is to communicate, which I do through my Sunday sermons and weekly writings, and over the years I have conveyed well over 1,000 such messages for public consumption.  And throughout all of those various communications, one of the most common pieces of feedback that I receive from… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective April 16, 2026

I live in what is approximately the geographic center of our island, with the beach roughly one mile in one direction and the river roughly one mile in the opposite direction.  The same towering pine trees that surround my home line the road in front of my house, and the spaces that aren’t filled with… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective April 9, 2026

In 1977, George Lucas reimagined the process of moviemaking by introducing a series of absolutely stunning visual effects that transported viewers into a galaxy far, far away.  Star Wars was an instant hit, forever changing how we watch movies, yet the story itself had been around for ages.  Lucas himself had mentioned that his movie… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective April 2, 2026

Earlier this week, our Historical Foundation hosted an evening that featured several of the artists and artisans who live or have lived here.  The artists were invited to share their own stories and display a sample of their works, and it was quickly apparent that our tiny island has a disproportionate number of people who… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective March 26, 2026

I am frequently amazed at the amount of emotional energy and time that people will spend on things that they cannot control.  I suspect that social media is largely to blame, as people somehow confuse posting a rant online with actually doing something productive.  Whatever the reasons may be, people are working themselves into a… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective March 19, 2026

Natural sunlight helps me wake up in the morning.  I suspect many of you are the same way.  While Circadian rhythms describe a variety of natural patterns that occur in our bodies over a 24-hour period, the most well-known pertains to our pattern of sleeping and waking.  And the single largest impact on that rhythm… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective March 12, 2026

One of the significant advances made over the last several decades in the area of communications technology is the adaptation of virtual meeting options such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.  Being able to look folks in the eyes while talking with them has always facilitated a deeper connection than simply talking over the phone, as… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective March 5, 2026

In our nation as portrayed in the news or on social media today, Dickie Phelps and I should not have been friends.  He and I were so very different.  I’ve never been in a motorcycle gang.  I’ve never been a marine.  I’ve never spent time in the brig.  I don’t hang out at the bar. … Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective February 26, 2026

I watched a few moments of the Winter Olympics the other evening, and caught an event where the athletes would ski down a steep slope to get as much speed as they needed before hitting a large jump, at which point they would then manipulate their bodies through a series of flips, twists, and turns… Continue reading Pastor’s Perspective February 19, 2026