Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2023, Dr. Tamilio Let’s just jump right into it. At the heart of today’s Gospel lesson is a concern about forgiveness. It really begins with Jesus being asked by Peter, “How many times do I have to forgive someone who wrongs me?” Peter throws out a number he thinks […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2023, Dr. Tamilio Things looked a little different when you came into the church today. I do not mean that we are now worshipping in the sanctuary as opposed to the chapel. I do not even mean that it is Rally Sunday — the day that we kick off […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2023, Dr. Tamilio I think the pendulum may now be swinging the other way. For decades, we have been talking about how mainline Christian churches are in a state of decline. Many prognosticators predicted that denominations would soon be dead — relics of the past. However, the pendulum may […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2023, Dr. Tamilio There is a moving song by Sting (singer, songwriter, bassist, and former frontman for the ‘80s British trio The Police), and there is a song by Sting entitled “Fragile.” Its chorus proclaims: On and on the rain will fall Like tears from the sky Like tears […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor On the surface, today’s Gospel Lesson seems to be about dietary restrictions that the Jews followed. The Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) enumerate foods that are considered unclean for Jews to eat, such as pig and shellfish. In this passage, is Jesus saying that all foods […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor When we think of what Jesus did during his lifetime, we often think of the miracles he performed. After all, this is how he proved to the masses that he was who he said he was. Only the Son of God could turn water into wine and heal the sick […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor I love my summer sojourns to Sebago Lake. Not only is it a time of rest and relaxation, a time to recharge my batteries, but ever since I started going there eleven years ago with Cindy, it has also been a spiritually enriching time for me. It’s hard to pin […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor If you are a regular church attendee and have cycled through the lectionary a few times, then you’ve heard the parable of the sower before: the story of the man who sows seed into different kinds of soil. Even if you aren’t a regular churchgoer, you may have heard the […]
Dr. John Tamilio III © 2023, Dr. Tamilio The story of the sacrifice of Isaac is a tough one. It’s no wonder that many mainline preachers avoid it. Some critics of religion say that it amounts to little more than divine child abuse. Why would God ask anyone to sacrifice their child? I know — […]
The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor What do people fear the most? Here’s a list of the most common fears according to the website Very Well Minded. Arachnophobia: an intense fear of spiders and other arachnids Ophidiophobia: an intense fear of snakes Acrophobia: an intense fear of heights (that’s mine) Aerophobia: an intense fear […]