Ed Jones Just a few days ago, I thought about what I really wanted for Christmas. It was an interesting list. Yet, as I look back over it, I can’t help thinking about how different that list is from one I might have written years ago—when our children and grandchildren were small. And the truth…
Tag: Nondenominational
November 2024
Giving Thanks
Ed Jones We live in a time when giving thanks has been replaced with protesting perceived ills or loss of entitlement. The proverbial “squeaky wheel” is evident in media, academia, industry, religion, and politics. It’s not my intent to comment on the validity of cause or sincerity of those protesting. I merely wish to point…
October 2024, Religion
Tyranny of the Urgent
Ed Jones “Now!” “Now!” is the demand of the urgent. Like your phone ringing. The dishes in the sink. Clothes to be washed. The yard that needs to be mowed. One more thing to finish at the office before heading home. “Now!” To which a lot of us dutifully respond with a “Yes!” Recently, I…
September 2024, Religion
Fellowship at the Ranch
Ed Jones, Pastor It’s my anniversary! However, it’s not what most would think. On Sept. 4, 2016, I delivered my first sermon as pastor of Fellowship At The Ranch Church. To say that the years have flown by would be an understatement. Allow me to recall the sequence of events that brought us to this…
Religion, August 2024
How Long?
Ed Jones We recently lost one of our own. The agony of that loss reminded me of what a friend of mine wrote at the death of his wife of more than 30 years: The words of the writer of this Psalm become our words: “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How…
March 2024, Religion
The Power of the Tongue
Ed Jones The tongue is used both literally and metaphorically in the Bible. James 3:5 reminds us that it is a “small part of the body,” yet Proverbs 18:21 warns that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” The death mentioned is trifold, being spiritual, physical, and emotional. First, spiritual, for it…
Religion, February 2024
What Is a Church?
Ed Jones Growing up, I always thought of a church as a huge building with soaring arches and stained-glass windows. The interior boasted marble columns, finely crafted pews, a marble altar, and statuary that would be the envy of the finest Greco-Roman museum. As I grew older, my concept of “church” evolved into that of…
January 2024, Religion
Fellowship At The Ranch: Celebrate the New Year
Ed Jones Again, another new year has rolled around, and many of us are awestruck by just how long we have traversed this planet. The very word “new” causes many of us to attempt to change whatever it is that wants us to start over. We make resolutions: Quitting smoking, starting a diet, or purchasing…