Author: John Willingham

“Moved with pity, Jesus stretch out his hand and touched him…Immediately, the leprosy left him.”  Mark 1:41a,42a  In every life there are moments that we don’t expect. We have our plan for the day or for a lifetime and set out only to discover bumpy stretches when events unfold in a way we had not anticipated. The verse from Mark’s gospel we just read tells Read more

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” –Matthew 18:20  This post marks my final one for 2025. I began the Ordinary Grace blog in January of last year. In June of this year, I added a podcast version called “Ordinary Grace: Finding God in the Everyday.” As Read more

“from you shall come forth for me, one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”               Micah 5:2                  One of my favorite things about Christmas is when loved ones start opening presents I have purchased. Part of the fun comes in seeing the look on their face; especially Read more

“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment  of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” –Luke 1:48  “In those days,” the gospel writer Luke wrote, “Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” Read more

“For in plain sight  they see the return of the LORD to Zion.” Isaiah 52:8b How could we have missed it?  That question is often raised after something goes wrong or we are surprised by events. When the clues were self-evident, but we or others didn’t pick-up on them at the time. It’s part of Read more

“While you are waiting… regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” 2 Peter 3:14a, 15a We are in a season of waiting. Advent is a four-week period of time when we long for God to break into creation again. Unlike persons who lived before the time of Christ and awaited the Messiah’s appearance, Christians Read more

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.”            –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a Seven months ago, I worshiped in the North Carolina congregation where I had served as pastor for nearly eleven years.  I made passing mention of that experience in a blog post on April 27.  There was another moment from that morning, though, Read more

“Standing firm in one spirit,  striving side by side with one mind.”             –Philippians 1:28 A few years ago, I worshiped at a Presbyterian Church 15 miles from our home.  During my working years, when I was in town and had a Sunday off I didn’t typically sleep in, but instead would Read more

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3 Several years ago, ten members of the congregation I served at the time traveled with me  to Greece and Turkey. Joined by two other women who lived in Pennsylvania, two from Michigan, an Australian couple and a woman from Trinidad and Read more

“God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eye.” –Revelation 21:3 On the church calendar November 1 is designated as All Saints Day.  In many congregations, it is the occasion when, during a worship service, we will remember by name the individuals who have died during the previous twelve Read more