Dane Lewis – River's Edge Community Church

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So far Dane Lewis has created 214 blog entries.

What to Expect While You Are Expecting (to Reopen)

What to Expect While You Are Expecting (to Reopen)

I bet you have the same four categories. There have been movies I could not wait to see; and when I saw them, I was not disappointed. I can still remember when I was a teen going to see The Three Musketeers and sitting there before the movie saying, “This is going to be great.” And it was. It had a great story. It had great swashbuckling action; and it had great actors with Michael York, Oliver Reed and Raquel Welch. At least, IMDB says York and Reed were in it. I only remember Raquel. The same was true about the first Lord of the Rings movie. We could not wait to see it; and from scene one, we loved it. But the opposite experience has also been true. There have been plenty of movies that I wasn’t expecting to be any good whatsoever, that turned out to be spectacular.

Then We Can Pray

Then We Can Pray

This sermon is based on Luke 11:1-13. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Let me just say it: of all the times for the angel of the Lord to introduce the name, Immanuel (meaning God with us), to use it to announce to Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit was the worst. Why? Because from that point on, we have thought that Immanuel was a Christmas name and only properly used during Advent. Now, to be fair, Joseph was in a very difficult time and Israel was mourning in lonely exile there and that whole Caesar Augustus tax decree was extremely bitter (tax time always is), and those are all perfect occasions to remind us that God is with us. But somehow, we have lost the connection between

The Subway Voice

The Subway Voice

The Subway Voice Every time we go to New York City, I am struck by the subway voice. Now, it’s a little more down-home, country-sounding than I would have expected for a major East Coast urban center, but it still works. Basically, the voice has four jobs. It announces the doors are closing. It broadcasts the next stop. It alerts everyone that the train is arriving. And, most importantly, it warns people getting off the train to mind the gap. See, the NY Transit Authority hates it when its passengers, upon exiting the train, misstep, stumble over the lip of the platform and then face-plant on the tile floor. It’s bad for tourism (although it’s great for dentists). And so, every time the door opens, the voice calls out for us, please, to remember to “mind the gap.” There’s an awful verse in Philippians 3. After Paul argues that all

Then We Don’t Need to Fear

Then We Don’t Need to Fear

This sermon is based on Isaiah 43:1-7. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Let me just say it: of all the times for the angel of the Lord to introduce the name, Immanuel (meaning God with us), to use it to announce to Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit was the worst. Why? Because from that point on, we have thought that Immanuel was a Christmas name and only properly used during Advent. Now, to be fair, Joseph was in a very difficult time and Israel was mourning in lonely exile there and that whole Caesar Augustus tax decree was extremely bitter (tax time always is), and those are all perfect occasions to remind us that God is with us. But somehow, we have lost the connection between

Impossible Questions, Part 7–So, What Is God Saying?

Impossible Questions, Part 7–So, What Is God Saying?

So, What Is God Saying? A year and a half ago, when we were looking for a puppy to fill the hole in our hearts left by Moose’s departure, we felt blocked at every turn. First, we thought no one would allow us to even adopt a puppy (we feared they would think badly of us because of Moose). Then, every dog we were interested in got adopted by some jerk before we could even get to see the dog. Once we called in the morning and arranged a visit for that evening, but when we called back to say we were coming, we were told the puppy we wanted had been swooped up by someone else that afternoon (probably a Nazi). This happened several times, and we were beginning to wonder if God was with us or against us (Jo said, “with”; I said, “against”). Then we found the

Then How Should We Parent?

Then How Should We Parent?

This sermon is based on Romans 15:13. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Let me just say it: of all the times for the angel of the Lord to introduce the name, Immanuel (meaning God with us), to use it to announce to Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit was the worst. Why? Because from that point on, we have thought that Immanuel was a Christmas name and only properly used during Advent. Now, to be fair, Joseph was in a very difficult time and Israel was mourning in lonely exile there and that whole Caesar Augustus tax decree was extremely bitter (tax time always is), and those are all perfect occasions to remind us that God is with us. But somehow, we have lost the connection between

Impossible Questions, Part 6–Is God Out to Get us?

Impossible Questions, Part 6–Is God Out to Get us?

Is God Out to Get Us? Let’s take an inventory of all that’s been happening in my life for the last two months. First, came the pandemic. Then came the leaking garbage disposal that spewed water in our cabinet. That was followed by the broken refrigerator that spewed water on our floor and through our floor. That led to replacing half of the ceiling tiles downstairs. Then the camera that we use to record Sunday mornings (my guess is that you would think that might be an important element of life these days) decided to flip the image on the viewfinder, so everything was upside down (annoying, but not devastating). Then the camera decided to turn off randomly during recording (very annoying and a little devastating). Then, for the last two weeks, the camera has chosen not to turn on until it wants to, sometimes not for hours (both very

Then What Is God’s Story?

Then What Is God’s Story?

This sermon is based on 1 John 4:7-12. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Let me just say it: of all the times for the angel of the Lord to introduce the name, Immanuel (meaning God with us), to use it to announce to Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit was the worst. Why? Because from that point on, we have thought that Immanuel was a Christmas name and only properly used during Advent. Now, to be fair, Joseph was in a very difficult time and Israel was mourning in lonely exile there and that whole Caesar Augustus tax decree was extremely bitter (tax time always is), and those are all perfect occasions to remind us that God is with us. But somehow, we have lost the connection

Impossible Questions, Part 5–How Could I Forget?

Impossible Questions, Part 5–How Could I Forget?

How Could I Forget? The only good thing to come out of having no live hockey to watch is that the Bruins have been showing reruns of the games from their epic Stanley Cup championship in 2011. Trust me, these games were spectacular. Boston beat Vancouver in a final winner-take-all game seven and became one of the most loved teams in Bruins history. How loved? One woman tweeted that her husband had stated that the night the B’s won was the happiest day of his life. She immediately prodded him with, “Not our wedding?” Now, the B’s winning it all wasn’t the happiest day of my life, but it was way up there! And you would think, as a result, that I would have almost perfect recollection of those games. But while I was watching the games again, it dawned on me, there are things I had definitely forgotten. For

Who Is This God That Is with Us?

Who Is This God That Is with Us?

This sermon is based on Colossians 1:15-20. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Let me just say it: of all the times for the angel of the Lord to introduce the name, Immanuel (meaning God with us), to use it to announce to Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit was the worst. Why? Because from that point on, we have thought that Immanuel was a Christmas name and only properly used during Advent. Now, to be fair, Joseph was in a very difficult time and Israel was mourning in lonely exile there and that whole Caesar Augustus tax decree was extremely bitter (tax time always is), and those are all perfect occasions to remind us that God is with us. But somehow, we have lost the connection between

Impossible Questions, Part 4–Job’s Job: The Limn

Impossible Questions, Part 4–Job’s Job: The Limn

Director’s Note: Last week, for your consideration into why God allows suffering (and as part of our on-going series of impossible questions), I submitted a rather quick overview of the book of Job. Since Job’s job is to make things clear, I thought it would help. Apparently, it didn’t. For most of us, even after my blog, Job remains rather enigmatic. So today, to help clear things up from last week, we offer Job’s Job: The Limn. It’s like a Broadway play without the broadways. So, sit back and read the script in different voices and be introduced to all sorts of wonderful characters (15 of them, by my count) and enjoy Job like never before. Welcome to the River’s Edge production of Job’s Job: The Limn! Please note: Job’s Job was first performed at the Edge on a Friday night not so long ago. Anything that doesn’t strike you

Is God with Us?

Is God with Us?

This sermon introduces our new series and is based on Revelation 21:1-4. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Let me just say it: of all the times for the angel of the Lord to introduce the name, Immanuel (meaning God with us), to use it to announce to Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit was the worst. Why? Because from that point on, we have thought that Immanuel was a Christmas name and only properly used during Advent. Now, to be fair, Joseph was in a very difficult time and Israel was mourning in lonely exile there and that whole Caesar Augustus tax decree was extremely bitter (tax time always is), and those are all perfect occasions to remind us that God is with us. But somehow, we

Impossible Questions, Part 3: Job’s Job

Impossible Questions, Part 3: Job’s Job

When I was a kid, I loved watching The Wild, Wild West. It was everything I wanted in a TV show. It was a horse-riding-western featuring a gadget-toting secret-agent man set in a mission-impossible, cliff-hanger motif with a cool theme song. When the network cancelled it, I was crushed. I even recorded the theme song from the very last episode ever (using my Craig recorder with the cool stick-shift control) so that I would never forget it. I was also proud of myself. While the rest of the world would soon forget the melody, I would be able to hum it on cue (and I heard the girls were really into guys who could hum TV theme songs! (Fun Takeaway #1 for those interested – they were lying!). And then exactly one week later (same bat time, same bat channel), there was The Wild, Wild West on my TV! I

Rooted in Resurrection

Rooted in Resurrection

As we rejoice in the power of the Empty Tomb on Resurrection Sunday, this sermon is based on Acts 9:1-9, 17-22. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Elie Wiesel once remarked, “God made man because He loves stories.” When you think of all the stories in the Bible, you may be convinced that Wiesel is absolutely right. There are stories everywhere in the Bible! There are stories about sin, about grace, about faith, about a lack of faith, about courage and hope and heartbreak There are origin stories, war stories, love stories, disturbing stories, and funny stories. There are stories about heroes and failures, about kings and ordinary people, about men and women and stories about good and evil. And that barely scratches the surface because the Bible is filled with

Rooted in Betrayal

Rooted in Betrayal

This sermon is based on John 12:1-15. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Elie Wiesel once remarked, “God made man because He loves stories.” When you think of all the stories in the Bible, you may be convinced that Wiesel is absolutely right. There are stories everywhere in the Bible! There are stories about sin, about grace, about faith, about a lack of faith, about courage and hope and heartbreak There are origin stories, war stories, love stories, disturbing stories, and funny stories. There are stories about heroes and failures, about kings and ordinary people, about men and women and stories about good and evil. And that barely scratches the surface because the Bible is filled with stories. In fact, the Bible would be a very short book if it wasn’t

Impossible Questions, Part 1

Impossible Questions, Part 1

Impossible questions come and go, but asking God, “Why?” lasts forever. And to prove this, a few days ago a friend asked the “why” question: “If there is a God and he is good, why would he allow this pandemic?” Today, in this blog post, I want to answer that “why” question with a definitive answer that details what God is up to. I want to, I really do, but I can’t. No one can. It’s an impossible question. Now, that is not to say that we cannot say a few things that might be helpful to us as we wrestle with this question. I can’t answer “why,” but I hope I can give some guidance that will help us navigate these strange waters. First, remember while things today are bad, if the truth be told, things have always been bad. To gain some perspective and wisdom, let’s go back

Rooted in Love

Rooted in Love

This sermon is based on Ruth 1. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Elie Wiesel once remarked, “God made man because He loves stories.” When you think of all the stories in the Bible, you may be convinced that Wiesel is absolutely right. There are stories everywhere in the Bible! There are stories about sin, about grace, about faith, about a lack of faith, about courage and hope and heartbreak There are origin stories, war stories, love stories, disturbing stories, and funny stories. There are stories about heroes and failures, about kings and ordinary people, about men and women and stories about good and evil. And that barely scratches the surface because the Bible is filled with stories. In fact, the Bible would be a very short book if it wasn’t

Don’t Waste This Time (Part 2)

Don’t Waste This Time (Part 2)

Talk about wasting time. On October 4, 1582, everything seemed so normal. People got up, went to work, had a meal or two and went to bed. It was an ordinary day. The next day also seemed normal, but there was one huge difference. The date was October 15. They had slept through 11 whole days! Okay, that is not completely true. However, it is true that they went to bed on October 4th and woke up on October 15th. Apparently, when Julius Caesar made his famous calendar, a calendar which was based solely on the movements of the sun, he miscalculated the length of the solar year (it was actually slightly shorter than he thought by a few minutes). Now, someone had warned him that making a new calendar would be difficult (I think they had said, “Beware the ides of March), but he didn’t listen. As a result,

Rooted in Sin (and Grace), Part 2

Rooted in Sin (and Grace), Part 2

This sermon is Part 2 carried over from last week and, like last week, also based on Exodus 32:1-4, 7-8, 15-24. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Elie Wiesel once remarked, “God made man because He loves stories.” When you think of all the stories in the Bible, you may be convinced that Wiesel is absolutely right. There are stories everywhere in the Bible! There are stories about sin, about grace, about faith, about a lack of faith, about courage and hope and heartbreak There are origin stories, war stories, love stories, disturbing stories, and funny stories. There are stories about heroes and failures, about kings and ordinary people, about men and women and stories about good and evil. And that barely scratches the surface because the Bible is filled with

Don’t Waste This Time (Part 1)

Don’t Waste This Time (Part 1)

Paul writes in Ephesians 5 (16-17): “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Now, I don’t know what Paul’s voice sounded like, but I do know that I really like Joni Mitchell’s voice. And even though Paul may have said it better, I would still rather hear Mitchell sing it. See, it is her words (Sorry, Paul!) that I first hear when I realize that I have missed a golden opportunity: Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got til it’s gone. They paved paradise And put up a parking lot. To be perfectly honest, Mitchell wasn’t as concerned about opportunities missed as she was about how people were treating environment (“They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum / And they charged all the people

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