By James E. Copple Alcohol has become a “hot topic” in circles of faith – the absolutes about alcohol consumption that kept us sheltered in the moralistic teachings of our ancestors are all but gone or at least ridiculed, and young people ask, “why not?” Therefore, the issues and consequences of alcohol use are surfacing […]
By James E. Copple Every holiday season for the past 20 years, I have chosen a theme that helps me focus on the meaning and joy of Christmas. This year, I chose motherhood with a particular focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Resonating through my reflection is the message – every mother counts. Scholars […]
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by James E. Copple That first sermon, I will never forget it. Less than four months after I found myself kneeling at an alter and accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior, I was now preaching. My conversion was radical. I mean, I went from a hell-raising 15 year-old to a Bible carrying evangelist overnight. […]
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We preach the body of Christ and talk about the global church and the global community as if we are all connected and part of a universal, tightly knitted community with a single purpose and goal…Unfortunately, as with many things in the Church – it is a myth of convenience.
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I often go to slums and work in urban environments that are horrific in poverty, disease and crime. But this morning was different. I walked the narrow walkways between corrugated huts interviewing the youth leaders. The smells were so bad that three times I had to fight the gag reflex…
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