Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Today’s readings from Romans and Matthew speak of judgment and mercy. There are many ways to think about these concepts. Let’s take judgment, for example. When we think of that word, we may think of a defendant in court, standing in judgment before the judge. We […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” The closing line from today’s Gospel lesson. We often take this to mean that no matter how many people gather for worship, Jesus is there even if there is only two […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio One day when George W. Bush was President, Air Force One was flying over a desert. They saw a man with a staff dressed in a robe below — literally in the middle of nowhere. The plane landed and the President gave orders to retrieve the […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio The late Christian singer-songwriter Rich Mullins used to say that he loved the Bible, but not for the reasons that most people do. He said that he liked all the “weirdos” that appear in both the Old and New Testaments. Maybe that’s because Mullins was a […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Religion is a strange, universal phenomenon. Throughout history, it has given people hope in times of doubt, fear, and grief. It has helped explained the origins of life and the vastness of the cosmos. It has also been the source of conflict, intolerance, and even war. […]
Pentecost 8 Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Many cultures have folktales about finding a lantern, rubbing it, and having a genie pop out. The genie grants the lucky finder three wishes. What would be your three wishes? Health, wealth, fame, power? Let’s say instead, that God appeared before you and said […]
Pentecost 7 Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Of all the social and political controversies that surround us in twenty-first century America, the one that staggers me the most is the environmental crisis. Every environmental scientist agrees that there is a problem, although they may disagree about the extent of the problem […]
Sunday, July 12, 2020 ~ Pentecost 6 Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio Prof. Ellis Fowler. He is one of my favorite people. He is not a former professor of mine. He is a fictitious character. He appears in the original Twilight Zone: season 3, episode 37 to be exact. Played by […]
Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor © 2020, Dr. Tamilio We, as a congregation, have not celebrated Holy Communion since March 1st. That was four months ago! I think I can speak for the vast majority of us when I say that it feels as if something profound, something vital, something that is a fundamental part […]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: NACCC 2020 ANNUAL MEETING Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor of the Congregational Church of Canton Sunday, June 28 2020 Holy God of all Creation — the One who fashioned seas and stars, who breathed life into all that walks and crawls, swims and flies, the artist of all that is […]