April 2025

Pastoral Commentary: Worship glasses can help lead us to spiritual truth

A couple of years ago, I asked my optometrist to make a special pair of glasses for me. I explained to him that I could read my computer screen and books just fine without glasses, but when I was leading worship or preaching, sometimes my vision was just blurry enough to make getting the words right difficult. Could he make a pair of glasses with the focal point at the distance from my eyes to a music stand or pulpit? He could and he did. I now have my very own pair of worship glasses. I think that’s even what it says in the records in his office.

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My Favorite Trees

Tri-County Tribune Editor Jennifer Stultz shares some photos taken of trees in and around the Tri-County Tribune coverage area over the past two years. She writes about beautiful and sometimes…

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Crossing the Threshold: Trees are fascinating

I have always been fascinated by trees. They stoically reach towards heaven, growing, changing with the seasons, withstanding storms, housing birds and animals, and when they die, their composition breaks down to enhance the soil and provide nutrients for new life. Trees are powerful symbols used throughout the Bible to represent life, growth, strength, submission, even suffering. And in the end, trees exemplify the whole ashes to ashes, dust to dust theory as they are broken down literally and figuratively, until they become particles of soil-enriching substance that supports new growth that starts the whole circle of life over again.

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Another View: The Book of Mormon and building on the Rock

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ records how Jesus, after his crucifixion and resurrection, appeared to some of His “sheep of another fold”(1) who were in the new world, and taught them as He had taught His disciples in Jerusalem(2). He taught them to do good works, and to pray and fast to our Father in Heaven, without seeking recognition. “No man”, Jesus said, “can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.”(3) He taught them not to judge one another, and not to try to remove a mote in another’s eye when they have a beam in their own. He taught them not to cast that which is holy before the wicked and unrepentant transgressor lest he turn and rend them. “Ask,” He said, “and it shall be given unto you.”(4) “Therefore”, Jesus said, “all things whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.”(5)

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