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Let It Begin with Me
I keep thinking about that song that goes, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” That initial line strikes at the heart of what our world truly needs. We typically...
Elyse M. Nielsen
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A Personal God
This Sunday many Christians celebrate Pentecost, which has its roots in ancient Judaism. After Jesus left his disciples and ascended into heaven they gathered together for the celebration of Pentecost. But as they assembled, God’s...
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Working from Home
Many Christians observe today as Ascension Day, the day when Jesus ascended to be with his Father in heaven, leaving the disciples staring into the sky. The Bible tells us about it in the first...
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Peace or Pieces?
You have probably noticed how fractured we have become as a society. Everything has become a partisan issue, with clear lines of demarcation to designate each side. Even questions about the present pandemic and public...
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Fearing Fear
In his inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” These words are not just clever rhetoric; they speak to something that is often true about ourselves. Fear...
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God Is With Us
At Christmas time we often retell the story of the angel who visited Joseph to tell him that Mary would soon give birth to Jesus. As Matthew’s gospel reminds us, this fulfills prophecy from the...
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God Hears Us
Occasionally I’ve been in a gathering where the entire group of people are all praying aloud to God at once. It’s a neat experience if you’ve ever participated in anything like that, to see and...
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The Best of All
Imagine the scene at the final moments of John Wesley’s life. He had spent decades as a primary influencer of the spread of Methodism. But in 1791, at age 87, Wesley neared the end of...
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Fear Not!
Recently I came across a hilarious truth about life: Never in the history of calming down has anyone ever calmed down by being told to calm down. It’s funny, but there’s a powerful reality behind...
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Staying Connected
I’ve started to notice something interesting lately: our current conditions of social distancing have actually brought me closer to some of the people in my life. Families are working, learning, and playing at home together....