ADVENT I REFLECTION: HOPE The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III Last summer, as many of you know, I was on sabbatical. I spent those months doing a lot of reading, research and praying. My focus was on both congregational care and evangelism. Unfortunately, when I returned, I was hit with several funerals in September and […]
The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Well, it was when I wrote this. I wrote the first few sentences of this sermon in North Conway at my in-law’s house where we went for Thanksgiving. This sentence was written the night before the meal. So was this one. […]
Dr. John Tamilio III Thanksgiving is upon us once again. This is our holiday — and by “our” I mean that this is a holiday with deep roots in the Congregational tradition. We all know the story: how the pilgrims in the Puritans set sail from the new world arriving in 1620. We all know […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio This was one of those weeks where none of the readings in the revised Common Lectionary struck me. I am not saying that I do not like any of the readings that were slated for today. I love all of them — it’s just that none […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio The great Greek philosopher, Socrates, was tried and executed for three reasons: one of them was that he was corrupting the youth of Athens. He wasn’t contributing to the delinquency of minors, mind you, nor did he behave inappropriately around them. He did, however, have a […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio This is one of those two-in-one Sundays: it is Reformation Sunday and, since tomorrow is All Saints Day, it is the day that we remember those who have passed — who are now part of the great cloud of witnesses. This is the day that we […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio Now that the coronavirus is behind me, we were able to start our new Bible study last Tuesday. We are making our way through the Gospel of John. Tuesday night we covered the first three chapters. We ended the night by delving deep into the verse […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio Many of you know I spent my latter teenage years and my early twenties playing in a band. I still do, from time to time. Ever since I can remember, I have been a huge music fan. My parents had one of those massive cabinets in […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2021, Dr. Tamilio So here is the problem: Christians use several “Omni” words for God. This is one of the ways that believers define God’s character. We say, for example, that God is omniscient, which means that God is all-knowing. We say that God is omnipotent, which means that […]
Dr. John Tamilio III There is a lot going on in today’s Gospel Lesson. According to the online commentary Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, perhaps no verse in Scripture “has given more perplexity to commentators than this” one. What does it mean to be salted with fire? Salt helps to flavor, preserve, and purify. It […]