PEARL STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” — Isaiah 12:2 (NRSVUE) There are moments in life when we feel unworthy of God’s love, or perhaps unaware that we even need saving. Isaiah’s song reminds us that salvation is not something we earn—it is something God becomes for us. In verse 1, the prophet acknowledges God’s anger, but then marvels at how that anger turns into comfort. T

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, CEB) In the legal drama A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson’s character, under prosecutorial examination, shouts in agitation, “You can’t handle the truth!” It’s a line that has echoed through popular culture, capturing the idea that truth can feel too harsh, too unsettling to face. Yet Jesus turns that idea upside down. His truth is not meant to overwhelm us but to liberate us. It is not hidden in shadows or

“I thank my God always for you, because of God’s grace that was given to you in Christ Jesus.”  —1 Corinthians 1:4 (CEB) On this day of Thanksgiving, Paul’s words echo in my heart: “ I thank my God always for you.”  Whether we have known each other for years or only recently crossed paths, your presence is a blessing. Each relationship, each encounter, is a reminder that God’s grace is not abstract but embodied in the lives of those around us. I think of family members whose

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” – Psalm 68:19 (NIV) Of all things, this morning, after reading this verse, I started thinking about commas. Yes, those pauses within a sentence that give what we are writing meaning and inflection. If you were to read my first drafts of anything, you’d quickly know I struggle with placing them, often using too many. They need to be placed in just the right places. And sometimes, commas make all the diffe