Below is an article that was written by Dr. John and was published in the December 2020 issue of the NACCC ~ The Congregationalist. NACCC ~ Racism in America

The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Why is it that mainline Christians shy away from talk about the end times?  By mainline Christians I mean churches that are part of denominations whose names you usually hear spoken: Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal, and, yes, Congregationalist.  We embrace our theological history, all […]

The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III 2020, Dr. Tamilio In his 1656 journal Of Plymouth Plantation, Gov. William Bradford wrote the following: In these hard and difficult beginnings they found some discontents and murmurings arise amongst some, and mutinous speeches and carriages in other; but they were soon quelled and overcome by the wisdom, patience, […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor  © 2020, Dr. Tamilio If we played a game of word association, and I said dog, you would probably say: cat. If I were to say chicken, you would say: egg. If I were to say stewardship, you would say: oh, that’s when pastors tell their churches to give money.  […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor  © 2020, Dr. Tamilio  Today’s Gospel Lesson is sometimes referred to as the parable of the ten virgins; sometimes it is called the parable of the ten bridesmaids.  Either way, five of them are seen as wise and five are foolish.  You just heard me read it: you can figure […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Has anyone ever asked you for your “elevator speech” when it comes to something you think or believe?  Here’s how this works.  You get on an elevator on the tenth floor of a building.  There’s someone already on the elevator.  In the time it takes the […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor  © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render unto God that which is God’s.  Well, everything belongs to God, so that makes this passage a little difficult.  There is nothing that belongs to Caesar that does not truly belong to God.  But let’s stick with […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Why the 23rd Psalm?  Why is that the Psalm that is the favorite to so many people?  Why was that the one you had to memorize in Sunday School?  I did, when I was a kid. I remember going home one day and telling my mother […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor  © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Ezekiel 18:25: “The way of the Lord is unfair.”  This sounds like last week’s sermon, doesn’t it?  Last week I preached on the parable of the workers in the vineyard and claimed that, when it comes to God’s grace, God is unfair.  Ezekiel (speaking the word […]

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor  © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Last week marked my eighth anniversary of your pastor.  Prior to Canton, I was in Cleveland.  Prior to Cleveland, I was in Kansas City.  I’ll never forget an incident I experienced in my Kansas City church after I delivered a sermon on the Gospel Lesson we […]