Tuesday Tidings May 17, 2026

Dearest Members of Bethlehem,

There’s a brilliant novel out there written by John Williams entitled, “Stoner.” It’s definitely, at least in my humble opinion, one of the best of all time. For the record, I am not recommending the novel.  Lots of folks think the book is absolutely awful. So, if you read it and you don’t like it, please don’t tell me.

However, in the latter chapters of that novel, there is a haunting line that I think captures what Christian Education should be all about.

Williams wrote, “In his forty-third year William Stoner learned what others, much younger, had learned before him: that the person one loves at first is not the person one loves at last, and that love is not an end but a process through which one person attempts to know another.” -John Williams, Stoner

In some ways this is precisely what I see taking shape within Christian Education. In our earliest days, someone that loves us tells us that Jesus loves us. By the very nature of this unexpected gift, we are intrigued. Eventually, many of us end up genuinely loving Jesus too.

The life-long - life-giving relationship has taken shape. By the grace of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become committed to it.

So, we join with others who are loved and love in the same way. We gather for moments of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. We serve others in response to this love. And then, when the opportunity presents itself we endeavor to learn about Jesus. It’s not because we have to, there’s no burdensome compulsion.  It’s also not because this study will result in a higher test score or more handily wining a game of Bible trivia.

Nope… Christian Education is a love soaked process in and through which we come to more fully know this Savior of ours.  Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow… but our understanding of him, our knowledge of his power and presence in our lives is constantly evolving.

There’s a distinctive kind of joy in that process of discovery I pray you have and will experience that joy all along the way.                

Question for reflection: What book of the Bible should a person new to Christianity read first?

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Dan

God of mercy, your love overflows. Your goodness knows no bounds.  Your willingness to forgive is never exhausted. The expansiveness of your welcoming embrace is beyond our comprehension. Bless us with the opportunity to live our lives with a bold confidence in your abundance and not the fear of scarcity. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.