A picture is worth a thousand words. And words, even written with photographs, can wound or heal. Take, for example, the one accompanying this post by famed photographer Gordon Parks. You have a nicely dressed middle-class African-American family in 1956 getting water from a fountain at an ice cream stand. It’s a Sunday afternoon in …
Author Archives: Tom Zucconi
Under Renovation
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians …
Grapes of Wrath or Grace?
“Comfort, comfort, my people, says your God!” –Isaiah 40:1 I recently watched a documentary on Amazon titled “The Bikes of Wrath.” It’s a story about five men from Australia who, fascinated by John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” decide to bike westward across America following the same route the fictional Joad family traveled to …
A Spirit of Risk
This past weekend I took a few days off to meet some friends from Atlanta in St. Louis to cycle the Katy Trail. It’s a 240 mile “rails to trails” project (www.railstotrails.org) that took a derelict railroad route and turned it into a gem of a gravel trail running parallel to the Missouri River. People …
The Power of Patience
Patience wearing thin? Tired of pandemic restrictions or children at home all day? In this week’s blog post, Pastor Tom points us to the power of patience in dealing with circumstances beyond our control.
Adding Beauty and Value
Pastor Tom challenges us to consider how we are adding beauty and value to our lives and the lives of those around us.
On Prayer
What does your soul need right now? If you were to put pen to paper or finger tips to keyboard, what would be the content of your prayers to Jesus?
An Identity in Christ
This past week we’ve seen the idea of identity made raw in our lives. From the death of Mr. George Floyd to the subsequent marches on behalf of black Americans, the idea of identity (among other things) is front and center. And it should be. There are systemic problems in our society and institutions that …
Good Memories of God
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.74″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] I like poetry. I realize it is not for everyone, especially much of what is offered today as poetry, but because the poet is an artist, he or she provides insight into the world that goes beyond my own shallow interpretations. I …
Pastor’s April Blog Post
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. –Hebrews 13:8 My, how things have changed! My, how things are still the same! Do you feel that tension in your life? As we work from home and teachers virtually “homeschool” students, we’ve experienced a tremendous disruption in our daily patterns. Yet, at the same time, …
