MI CULPA, MY BAD, I’M SORRY

REV. RICH’S RITTINGS – JANUARY 20TH, 2021

MI CULPA, MY BAD, I’M SORRY

 I am feeling a little guilty this morning as I work on this devotional. Since the start of the new year, I am finding it difficult to write a devotional every day, and I feel like I have let some of you down. I have enjoyed writing the devotional, and I will continue to write it, but I may be able to post them only once or twice a week now. My work load h...

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Walk Like A Christian

In 1963 a singing group known as “The Four Seasons” released a mega hit entitled, “Walk Like a Man.” In 1986 an all-female band called the “Bangles” released a mega hit entitled, “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Today this “seasoned pastor” wants to release a mega phrase to “walk like a Christian.” 

What does it mean to walk like a Christian? It means we walk in faith. It means we walk in love. I...

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REV RICH'S RITTINGS

“THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER”

There is a poem by Lewis Carroll by the title that I listed above. In that poem is this verse that I just love and that has always stuck with me: “The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things: Of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax – of cabbages – and kings – and why the sea is boiling hot – and whether pigs have wings.”

Well, the time has come to talk of...

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The Morning After

Rev. Rich's Rittings - January 7

THE MORNING AFTER

I am having to adjust my devotional schedule some this year which I will discuss in a devotional next week. So let’s ponder what happened Wednesday in our Nation’s Capital. We can begin with the obvious truth that any patriotic American, whether they voted for Biden or Trump, were appalled at what occurred. I have purposely not said a...
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I Really Have No Clue What 2021 Holds!

RICH’S RITTINGS – JANUARY 4TH, 2021

A NEW YEAR BEGINS

And just like that 2020 is gone and I doubt very many are sad to see it go. In fact, I wonder how many people stayed up to midnight to MAKE SURE that the year 2020 left! But, leave it did, and now here we are on the 4th day of a new year. 2021 sounds strange and it will, for a little while, until we get use to writing it and saying it. What does 2021 hold?  Nobo...

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Ring the Bells - One Week to Go!

Christmas is in 7 days! Katie, our Administrative Assistant will be going on maternity leave starting Monday, December 21st so I have just come to realize that this will be MY LAST DEVOTIONAL until January 4th, 2021. So what Christmas thought do I want to leave all of us with as we “travel” these last days ‘til Christmas morning? Well, 2020 has certainly been a year that will not rank as anyone’s favorite as we look back ove...

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Songs, Stories, & Smiles

Have you ever wondered about the history behind some of our beloved Christmas hymns? Behind almost every Christmas Hymn is a unique history and story. Some will amaze you. Some will touch you. I think all of them will help you see where God was in the words and the melody. For instance, take the song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (In the UM Hymnbook #230), written by one of America’s most outstanding pastors in the mid-1800s, Phillips Brooks.

Dur...

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A Hallmark Star Talks About the Christmas Star

I don’t mind admitting that I like to watch Christmas Hallmark movies with Debbie. I like happy endings and things working out (by the way, I have never trusted Disney movies since they killed off “Old Yeller”). One of my favorite actresses in the Hallmark movies (and I have several) is Lacey Chabert. She just starred in Hallmark’s “Christmas Waltz” this year. In November’s Guidepost she has an article where she talks about, amo...

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I Wonder As I Wander

The Christian journey, and of course the Advent/Christmas journey, is full of wonder. The word “wonder” can be described in 2 ways: as a NOUN it means “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable” and as a VERB it can mean the “desire or curiosity to know something”. In this devotional today I am using it both ways.

As a pastor I have always loved the true...

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Nothing's Impossible

In 1974, in the final basketball game of the regular season, and long before there was a 3 point shot in basketball (1987), UNC trailed Duke by 8 points with only 17 seconds left in the game. It seemed impossible that UNC could win and yet they scored 8 points in those 17 seconds and won in overtime. It is still considered one of the most impossible comebacks in college basketball, especially when there was no 3 point shot. But impossible things happen. Mankind learned ...

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The Final Countdown

No, for those of a certain generation, I am not referring to the rock song, “The Final Countdown” by Europe that was popular in 1986. I am referring to the fact that today, December 11th is exactly two weeks until Christmas Day! I imagine some of you groaned, swallowed your gum, or spit out your coffee or wine! For children these two weeks will last forever, but for the rest of us … well, it’s panic time; but it shouldn’t be. I ...

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Searching, Seeking, & the Star

As most of you know, one of my favorite Christian writers over the years has been Max Lucado. One of his devotional books is called “Grace for the Moment” and I enjoy rereading it every year. 

A couple of weeks ago I read one of those devotions that focused on the word, “Diligently”. Lucado goes on to say that as Christians we should be diligent in our search for a relationship with the Lord. He writes, “Step away from the puny p...

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A Perfect Christmas

What would it take for you to have a perfect Christmas? Would it be a special, unexpected gift that was just right? Would it be snow? Having a white Christmas would be fun. Would it be having everyone in your family healthy, happy, and getting along? Would it be a certain level of financial success? Would it be a nation united? Would it be a world at peace? Would it be COVID gone? All of these draw us a picture of a perfect Christmas. But the reality of a perfect Christ...

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Déjà Vu

“Déjà vu” is a French word that is defined as “a feeling of having already experienced the present situation.”  Last night was a Déjà vu experience for Debbie and me. It began when my previous undefeated Steelers lost at home to the 4-7 Washington team. Now how can it be that I felt that was a Déjà vu moment when the Steelers had not lost a game this year? Simple, it felt a lot like last year when th...

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Christmas Cards & Christmas Messages

About a week ago we got our first Christmas card in the mail. Claiming first this year was Bill & Martha Middleton, a sweet older couple in my church. Debbie and I like Christmas cards although between the internet and all the other forms of social media possibilities, Christmas cards via “snail mail” are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. We put our cards up around the entrance way between the living area and the kitchen so that we can enjoy them dur...

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