Rev. Dr. Jeff Garrison
Jeff GarrisonBluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian ChurchesOctober 31, 201Isaiah 12 At the Beginning of Worship Today is Reformation Sunday. 504 years ago, on this date, Martin Luther nailed up his 95 Thesis. This marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. I will use the gap between now and the beginning of Advent (as I don’t have … Read more Reformation Sunday: God as a Fountain of Goodness
I spent last week at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia with a group organized by the Foundation for Reformed Theology. We gather once a year to discuss agreed upon reading of serious theology. We had last meet in early March 2021 in Austin, Texas. That was the last time I’ve been on a plane. … Read more Trains and Karl Barth
Jeff GarrisonBluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian ChurchesMark 2:21-28October 24, 2021 At the Beginning of the Service The Sabbath has been called the first labor law.[1] God graciously realizes we need to rest, just as God rested on the seventh day. But we humans, in our fallen state, have a way of taking a good thing too far … Read more God looks out for us
This month I’ve been involved with academic travels through the Southeast, intersperse with family and fun activities. I began with a road trip to Hilton Head, where I spent three rainy days as a part of a Theology Matters’ conference held at Providence Presbyterian Church. The church has a massive campus on the south end … Read more Catching Up: A Theology Conference and some sailing
Jeff GarrisonBluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian ChurchesOctober 3, 2021Mark 9:14-29 Thoughts at the beginning of worship: Do you know about red herrings? They’re not like red snapper. You don’t eat them. A red herring is a term often used in debate. When someone doesn’t have a good argument, they throw out a red herring. It distracts … Read more “I believe, help my unbelief”
Richard Lischer, Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith and Discovery (NY: Random House, 2001), 242 pages, no illustrations. A delightful collection of essays that describes Lischer’s first three years as a pastor in Southern Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri. He arrives driving a Ford Pinto. Fresh out of school, he finds his church in … Read more Two Books: Poetry and Ministry
Jeff GarrisonBluemont and Mayberry ChurchesDaniel 6September 26, 2021 Introduction at the Beginning of Worship: The late Eugene Peterson wrote a book on the Psalms of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) titled A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.[1] I read it back in the 90s and have long since lost my copy. But I still remember how Peterson opened … Read more Daniel in the Lion’s Den
The Day before the Equinox Despite the threat of rain on the last day of summerI take an evening walk down Laurel Fork Roadnoticing the seasonal changes.along the edge of the hayfieldwhere the staghorn sumac and dogwoods have turned red. The green leaves of the maples and oaks in the forest beyond have already lost … Read more A Walk in the Rain
Michelle Layer Rahal, Straining Forward: Minh Phuong Towner’s Story (Maitland, FL: Xulon Press, 2018), 355 pages, 10 pages of photos. I was introduced to Minh in 2011. I was preparing a sabbatical after leading First Presbyterian Church of Hastings (Michigan) through a building and relocation program. As I was going to be traveling overland from … Read more Straining Forward: Minh Phuong Towner’s Story
Jeff GarrisonBluemont and Mayberry ChurchesDaniel 5September 19, 2021 At the Beginning of Worship What is holy and what is profane? Today, in worship, consider the meaning and implication of these two words. God is holy. Those around the throne, we’re told, sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.[1] In everything, holiness is predicated of God and denotes God’s … Read more The Writing on the Wall