St. Luke's Blogs

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress, to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
    it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

One of my favorite hymns is, “I Love to Tell the Story.” This beautiful song is filled with language that makes our connection with Jesus seem so intimate. As you sing through the lyrics, you hear the joy and passion that Jesus invokes in the person who has heard the great story of his love and wonderful works done while on earth. This hymn lifts my spirits every time I sing it.

The writer of this beautiful hymn is Katherine Hankey. It was published as a two-part poem in 1866, The Story Wanted and The Story Told. Katherine was not a preacher, great hymn writer or educated theologian. Katherine wrote this poem after she had experienced a lengthy illness.  The lyrics reflect the joy she found as she searches for, and encounters the love of God found in Christ Jesus.

In April of 1912, the RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton to New York City. Sadly, the maiden voyage of this grand ship ended in disaster. On Sunday night, April 14 the ship struck and iceberg.  It took just over two hours for the massive ship to sink. Over 1,400 souls were lost that night.

There are many sad stories that are told about those terrible two hours. As the ship began to sink and evacuation was underway, people raced for the lifeboats, but there were not enough boats. Many of the boats had launched with just a few people. It soon became apparent that many would not leave the sinking ship. The musicians aboard the HMS Titanic set up on the deck and began to play. They attempted to add beauty and peace to the tragedy that was unfolding. One of the songs they chose to play was the comforting hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”

Singing was always a way for me to express myself.  If I was full of joy, raging with anger, sad as can be, or even simply content, I always felt there was a way to sing that fit the feeling and occasion.  I never thought I would be without this ability, this freedom… I thought I was invincible.

I started losing my voice regularly around middle school.  By this time, I had played Annie multiple times, and my voice was no longer able to sustain multiple shows in a week.  The truth was my voice was damaged and unless I screamed, the sound was hard-pressed to release easily.  I began auditioning for colleges for musical theatre, and quickly realized that something was wrong, which was only solidified when I arrived at my chosen university and my vocal professor said, “You need to go to the doctor and get scoped”.  This is a singer’s worst nightmare.  The doctor confirmed what I already knew deep down: I had vocal nodules.  I had two choices…

The success of Dolly Parton is the dream of any musician and entertainer. With a net worth of over $600 million, Dolly could have easily retired to enjoy a life of ease. However, the drive that made her a Hall Of Fame entertainer and world-class businessperson has kept her working long past her debut in 1967. Now, at the age of 76, she is not just entertaining, she is making a difference in the lives of so many people.

In 1995, Dolly Parton helped to launch the Imagination Library. This is a program that mails free books to children up to five years old. Because she witnessed her father struggle to read, she wanted to help others experience success in literacy…

Today is a special day. It is Valentine’s Day. Today loved ones will exchange gifts, flowers, candy and more. They will celebrate with fancy dinners.  These gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious Valentine and why do we celebrate this holiday?

According to one legend, St. Valentine sent the first ‘valentine’s’ greeting himself. He was a priest in Rome. In prison for helping Christians escape persecution under the Emperor Claudius II Gothicus, it is believed that Valentine developed a relationship with a young lady. She may have been his jailer’s daughter…

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

“These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his exceeding greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with timbrel and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

“As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” – 1 Peter 4:10

I am blessed to come from a musical family. Growing up in church, there was always someone in my family in choir. My grandmother was the church pianist and led the choir. I was blessed to share in a small part of the gift of music.  I play a few instruments (not very well) and I love to sing. I have spent some time in the church choir and other music ministries. My talent is limited, but I am always willing to share, especially when it comes to worship.

Part of my willingness to share comes from the encouragement I received from my grandmother early in life…

The Apostle Paul started the church in Philippi on his second missionary journey. Philippi was a city in Greece situated on a major road that connected Rome to much of its territory to the east. It was a great city for Paul to establish a church where the good news of God could travel freely throughout the empire.

Unlike most of the churches that Paul started, Philippi was not started within the Jewish community. Most of the people who made up this church were Roman citizens. The church was made up of people from various walks of life. Like the city of Philippi, the church was economically and culturally diverse. It is to this church that Paul writes the letter knows as Philippians.

In the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes about a great many things. Perhaps the most important topic that Paul discusses is found at the end of this great letter. Paul acknowledges that there are difficult situations in his life and the lives of those to whom he is writing. However, Paul shares his “Secret” (4:12) to a life of contentment…