Tuesday, September 8, 2020Reflection Read, again: Matthew 4:12-25​“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” N.T. Wright insists that “…there is one thing supremely important: we need to know what this kingdom of heaven is that [Jesus] said was approaching, and what action he expected people to take…this is central to everything Jesus was […]

Friday, September 4, 2020“The Kingdom is Here!” Read: Matthew 4:12-25 Have you ever noticed how the same message can sound very different when coming from two different messengers? I can almost hear my mother’s lilting voice, sweetly summoning us in for supper on a summer afternoon: “Dave, Doug, Darlene, Daryl, Dawn . . . it’s time […]

Thank you for subscribing to Oakdale Park Church’s summer devotional series on Sabbath. Last week was our final week of offering daily devotions connected to the series. But we are pleased to announce that this fall we will be offering messages twice a week from our interim minister, Pastor Dave Sieplinga, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Each […]

Friday, August 28, 2020​LaughterThe author of this book talks about the role of laughter in her grandfather’s ministry. She writes,  “When asked what it took for him to become a Nobel Laureate, he’d say, ‘A big nose and sexy legs!’ before roaring with laughter at his own joke. My mother tells me he used to make […]

Thursday, August 27, 2020The Pain of Faithfulness“My family taught me that ubuntu is not about trying to pretend that everything is sweetness and light. It’s about understanding that it’s possible for us to confront our darkness, especially with the help of others around us, as this makes us human too. Every positive has a negative. […]

Wednesday, August 26, 2020The Big Picture “Imagine that you’re an astronaut. You’ve finally reached your destination in space and, in a quiet moment, have a few minutes to peer down to planet earth. Unsurprisingly, seeing the reality of our fragile sphere, hanging like a blue marble in the empty void, can be a life-changing experience… […]

​Tuesday, August 25, 2020UbuntuUbuntu is another term familiar to those in South Africa. It is from the Nguni Bantu language, but it is a concept found in many African languages. It means, “I am only because you are.” Ubuntu is not about just being nice to people. It is about bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians […]

Monday, August 24, 2020SawubonaSawubona is a South African greeting from the Zulu people that means, “I see you”. We don’t often think about it, but we can look at people without seeing them. To see someone, really see someone, is more than looking. Seeing someone means looking to understand someone, seeing things like their hopes […]

Friday, August 21, 2020PainBeing a kid is not easy. Don’t believe the lies that tell us otherwise. There are growing pains and insecurities. There are also a lot of unknowns about what lies ahead. I remember experiencing some of that pain as a kid, and sometimes people would say to me, “Oh, just enjoy this […]

Thursday, August 20, 2020Offerings“The architect can’t control what use will be made of the spaces she designs. The microbiologist can’t control the ways in which his research may be applied. The artist can’t control where the patron hangs the painting. All our efforts are offerings. The best we can do is send our gifts out […]