June 3, 2020 It was perhaps 18 years ago that a couple of people suggested I should write a weekly blog. I did not know what a “blog” was, but Ponder with Pastor Bill came out of that idea. It has been good for me to have this opportunity, and I hope it has been […]
May 20, 2020 It feels strange, almost wrong, for me to ask this question: How could the Creator and Controller of the universe be held in captivity by it? I hope I am not dabbling in something inappropriate, but this has been on my mind. The confinement of lockdown is a familiar situation for all […]
May 13, 2020 Creator God gives us a statement of beauty and hope when He puts a silver lining around a dark cloud in the sky. He reminds us that the darkness is temporary and there is something more powerful than the cloud. It feels like our lives, our community and our world have a […]
Meditación con el pastor Bill 6 de mayo de 2020 Sentado en mi silla de tratamiento esta semana frente a una ventana que me daba una vista para el Monte St. Helens, cubierto de nieve sobre un fondo azul cielo. Era una escena magnífica, y tuve mucho tiempo para disfrutarla y reflexionar sobre el significado […]
May 6, 2020 My treatment chair this week faced a window that provided a frame for Mount St. Helens, covered with snow against a sky-blue background. It was a magnificent scene, and I had plenty of time to enjoy it and ponder the significance of that mountain. Prior to 1980, I called it “Mount Chrome […]
April 29, 2020 While watching bulky white clouds move across a beautiful blue sky, my mind went to Acts 1. After Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples, “giving them convincing proofs that He was alive,” He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Father would send […]
April 22, 2020 “Patience is a virtue, learn it if you can; seldom found in women and never found in men.” I will not speak for anyone else, but the last four words of this adage speak of the journey of my life. I was not a patient child and I do not think I […]
April 15, 2020 A number of things Jesus said and did while on Planet Earth make me think He had a sense of humor. Recently, I have thought about this in light of Resurrection Day. He had told His followers several times that He would be killed and rise again in three days. But on […]
April 8, 2020 I do not recall an Easter Sunday when I was not in church. Perhaps a snowstorm cancelled an Easter service once during my growing up years in Colorado – that is possible. Easter is always spent at church with a group of people celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Anticipating this coming Sunday […]
April 1, 2020 These days we are forced to stay at home as much as possible. For some families, this may be a new experience. I have been thinking about the time when staying home was a chosen way of doing life. In early America, families very seldom left home. They ate at home, slept […]
March 18, 2020 A week ago, we were planning for weekend events and worship services. Schools were busy, restaurants filled – life seemed so normal. One day later, it all changed and continues to change. The unknowns and uncertainties are massive. I have been admitting to myself how much I allowed myself to assume over […]
March 12, 2020 Growing up in a small community and church, we enjoyed periodic Singspirations where you could choose the song you wanted everyone to sing. Nearly every time it was my dad’s turn to choose, he would select “Sweeter as the Years Go By.’’ The words are about the journey with Jesus becoming sweeter […]
April 26, 2017 A song talks about “the wonder of springtime,” and I have been thinking a lot about this subject. Living on a part of Planet Earth that has definite seasonal changes is a privilege. Springtime in Oregon is a welcome change from the snow and ice of winter. But nature is more than…
April 19, 2017 At least 20 times in the Gospels, Jesus said, “Follow Me.” It was a familiar phrase to His friends who were with Him during the three years of His public ministry. It was heard in different ways – as an invitation, a command and at least one time as a scolding. The…
April 12, 2017 If we did not have the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament, our view of Jesus’ close friends would be less positive. We know them as Apostles, courageous leaders whose commitment to Jesus drove them to a willingness to die rather than deny Him. But that is not…
April 5, 2017 Easter makes me think of miracles. It is impossible to have Resurrection Morning apart from a miracle. Jesus’ life and ministry is all about miracles, but people can doubt this if they desire. His virgin birth is a miracle, but some say it could not be true. In three years of ministry,…
March 22, 2017 I hear a lot of comments about young people in America, and much of the time, it is not complimentary. “Entitlement” is the buzzword used to describe them. Whatever fancy definition we give this word, I think it means “I deserve this” or “I have a right to this.” Carried a step…