Author: Ben

In 2015, the smartphone company Samsung came up with an idea for new advertising campaign emphasizing connection through communication. The commercial revolves around Muaharrem, a deaf man in Istanbul who uses sign language to communicate. Muaharrem spent every day communicating with people in his town the best he could. He may have gotten by in…

I have an announcement to make… No, it is nothing bad. Earlier this fall, our bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod asked if I would be willing to serve on a committee. A very special committee. Before I tell you what it is, I want to explain a few details first. Our church is affiliated…

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. Prussia was one of the few countries to resist Napoleon Bonaparte’s quest to overtake all of Europe and beyond. King Frederick William III felt the…

The earliest writings in the New Testament come from Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica. We commonly call it 1Thessalonians. Most agree it was written somewhere close to 50AD. Less than 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus. If you read this short letter, you will see the affection Paul has for the…