Hometown Worship

Our Hometown Worship section is where you'll find our area churches directory, special features about local churches and church leaders and obituaries. Devotional pieces from Pastors Bill Mantel, Joel Seibel (Amazing Grace) and Rick Warren (A Purpose Driven Life) grace the pages of this section, along with columns by Sherida Nett.

A man had two sons. The older one was hard-working and responsible, and he always played by the rules. The younger was a bit of a trouble maker and was all about himself. One day the younger boy made an outrageous demand for an inheritance that was not to be his until his father passed away. His attitude toward his father was: I don’t really care about you or your business, I just want the money and I will be on my way.

Incredibly, the father, without argument, gave the boy what he asked for. The boy took off and lived it up for as long as he could.

In the meantime, the older boy continued to work the farm and play by the rules. He never asked for anything. He just doggedly did what he was supposed to do. The father continued his work, but always with his eye on the horizon waiting for the day when the younger boy would come home.

The day finally came when the father’s eye caught a figure in the distance. He instinctively knew who it was. With a heart full of compassion he ran to meet the boy. He knew that for this young man to come home on his own accord meant he was truly sorry for hurting him and wasting his inheritance.

Before the son could utter his apologies, the father had him dressed in the finest robe and placed a family heirloom on his finger. Oh, what a happy day it turned out to be until the responsible, hardworking, play-by-the-rules son got wind of what had happened.

Feeling very insulted, he accused his father of treating him unfairly by...

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Three days after Jesus was crucified and shortly after some of the women were visited by angels declaring that He was alive, two men took off to the town of Emmaus some seven miles away.

Deep in discussion over the past three days’ events, Jesus came along side them as though journeying in the same direction. The men were too fraught with their own emotions to pay much attention to the newcomer until he started asking them questions.

“What are you talking about, and why are you so sad?” Jesus asked. The man named Cleopas said, “Are you the only one around these parts that doesn’t know what’s gone on the last few days?” Jesus answered, “What’s happened?”

They then explained that there was a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who was a great prophet, mighty in word and work before God and all the people. And that the chief priests and princes condemned him to death and had him crucified.

They lamented out loud their disappointment that he was not the one to deliver their nation from the Romans. They added...

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For the last week my husband and I have been taking care of a family of seven children while their parents have been out of town on family business. To say that this experience has been a challenge is an understatement. It is not because the children require so much attention that makes it a challenge. It is a challenge because it has required me to put my own desires aside and to give all my time to them.

This week has shown me how hard it is for me to be selfless. Every day makes clear how selfish I can be especially with my personal space and my personal time. Every day I have to choose to put aside the book I want to read or the quiet time I want to have and, instead, tend to the business of refereeing young boys who are trying to outdo one another.

Instead of sitting down with a cup of coffee and my laptop, I must choose to wash more laundry each day than I normally do in two weeks. And instead doing some sewing, I must...

For the rest of this story and more, pick up this week's Voyageur Press.