Not too long ago Jeff Foxworthy and his Blue Collar Comedy buddies did a segment entitled, “I believe.” They took turns finishing the phrase “I believe.”

Today, January 6, is Epiphany Day. So, let’s “Google it!”

What is the Epiphany of Our Lord?

It is the wonderful liturgical festival observed every year on Jan. 6. It is the oldest of the Christmas festivals and originally the most important. Since Jan. 6 is most often a weekday, Lutherans and liturgical Protestants sometimes shift the celebration of Epiphany to the Sunday immediately before or following the 6th. Epiphany is also a season that lasts until the beginning of Lent and encompasses four to nine Sundays, depending on the date of Easter.

As a boy I was a “P.K.,” a “Pastor’s Kid,” so every time the church doors were open, I was there. And there were no trips out of town for the holidays, of course, so every year on Christmas Eve I was a part of the Sunday School Children’s Program, which was just fine with me because I liked being in programs and having to do something up front in church.

This coming Sunday, Nov. 15, here at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, we will celebrate our 25th Anniversary and Homecoming with worship at 10 a.m. followed by a luncheon for all our members, former members, and guests. We invite all our former members and any of our friends in the community to attend and celebrate and reminisce with us.

On Sunday, Nov. 15, here at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, we will celebrate our 25th Anniversary and Homecoming with worship at 10 a.m. followed by a luncheon for all our members, former members, and guests. We invite all our former members and any of our friends in the community to attend and celebrate and reminisce with us.

Maybe your job is like Henry’s.

Maybe your job is like Sally’s.

Henry hates his job. He absolutely drags to work every day. The whole idea of work seems rather ridiculous to him. All he can think about is how small a job he has in such a huge company.

This is one of my favorite little stories. It’s well worth telling again.

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point in the journey they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, much more in his heart than on the skin of his face, but without saying anything he wrote in the sand, “Today my friend slapped me in the face.”

Some time ago a great website, www.alliance4lifemin.org, which I credit with all the following information, reminded me again of some very important data about the connection between our Christian faith and the start of our country. As we celebrate the Fourth of July, I ask that we not forget this wonderful connection!

You probably have one at your church.

If you don’t have a church right now, you’ve probably encountered one somewhere along the way.

We have one.

Please, I mean absolutely not to take anything away from any of the others on the team, but there’s just one who must be given the designation VBS – MVP — Vacation Bible School – Most Valuable Player!

“Pastor, can a person who commits suicide go to heaven? Or is this an unforgivable sin?” The inquiring voice of the teen on the phone needed the answer.

Blooming flowers, green grass, more sun. Fresh starts. What a wonderful concept!

Springtime makes the world new again. We’re beginning to see it all around us. Bradford pears and daffodils. Azaleas and dogwoods. Blooming flowers, green grass, more sun, and fresh starts.

That’s right. It’s not just for AA any more, and never was. Read on.

In fact, The Serenity Prayer, as we know it, was only shortened and adopted by the good people of AA after its original use.

“May God bless you as you ponder these significant things in this significant time.”

In a few weeks on Feb. 25 we’ll celebrate “Ash Wednesday.” For those of us who use liturgical seasons to guide us through the church year, this will begin the season we call “Lent.”

“Our family’s great! I like my family!”

By far the greatest asset existent here in our Fayette community is simply “the family”... including your family. Of all the assets and resources among us, when one studies and analyzes our demographics and community dynamics, it’s “the family” that rises to the top of both the benefit and priority list. And like any other “greatest asset,” of course, we need and want to protect and improve it. We must.

Many of you may still be trying to make sense out of Christmas and have found only frustration with the lie that “more stuff equals a happy Christmas”...

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright ‘round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.”

A man stopped into my office a couple weeks ago. He said a profound thing. “It may not be a good time to talk about money right now ... but it’s the proper time.” I couldn’t agree more.

I love Jesus. I hate the devil. I am guided by the Bible. I want to stay away from evil. I want what’s best for our children. I will protect them whenever, wherever, and however possible and necessary.

It’s that great time of year again throughout our community! Friday night high school football games. The bark of signals. The grunts of linemen. The spiral on the ball. The “pop” of the tackle. The scamper of the ballcarrier. The brotherhood of teammates. The roar of the crowd. The cheers of the faithful. The Fight Song. The “stands music” of the band. (“The Horse” is my favorite.) The precision and beauty of the halftime show. Friends and family. The thrill of victory. And the agony of defeat. “Be true to your school! Rah, rah, rah, siss boom bah!”

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright 'round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.”

This is one of those e-mail stories. I like it a lot. It's a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at a leading university.

I love Jesus. I hate the devil. I am guided by the Bible. I want to stay away from evil. I want what's best for our children. I will protect them whenever, wherever, and however possible and necessary.