Tim Kelley

The King to His Glory

The King to His Glory

As we continue our journey to Holy Week, I want to pick up from Last week’s blog.  This time looking primarily in Matthew’s Gospel.  The theme of Jesus as the Servant of God was heard in the Voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism by John.  As you recall, the Voice quoted two passages of Scripture:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV)

Journeys With the Spirit

Journeys With the Spirit

In this blog, I reflect on a passage that may strike us as quite strange.  Its perceived strangeness may be a reason, not to ignore it, but to more closely listen to it.  Our church family is on an uncertain journey, as we search for a place to come together.  The following passage tells us of a missionary journey by Paul, Silas, Timothy, and maybe others.  No doubt they were sent out with prayers and with a well-planned itinerary.  But now look at what happened in the journey.

Aging in the Lord

Aging in the Lord

Since the recent Presidential debate, much of our talk has been about age related disabling conditions.  (NOTE:  THIS IS NOT ABOUT PARTISAN POLITICS, so look elsewhere if you’re looking for Trump bashing, Biden bashing, or political prognostication.) What it is about is getting older and dealing with ailments and disabilities that come with it.  Very few of us die in good health, and no one dies because of good health.

A Habakkuk Thanksgiving

A Habakkuk Thanksgiving

What follows is a reflection I wrote in 2018, that is fully applicable today.  As we sadly experienced, 2020 brought additional grief to all of us.  For me, it included the death of my Mother, and our dear brother, Mike Myers.  The years following have been little better. In this year, 2023, my Kelley family suffered the loss of several of my cousins and second cousins.  In the present moment, two wars rage, killing thousands.  Those wars, along with only increasing partisan animosity, have more deeply divided our nation. 

Dynamic Duo

Dynamic Duo

We have looked at individuals mentioned in Acts, such as Paul, Barnabas, and Luke, the author of Acts.  In this blog, I want to highlight a couple, who are always mentioned together.  They are Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:2), or at most other times, Priscilla and Aquila, or Prisca and Aquila.  Priscilla is the affectionate diminutive of her proper name, Prisca (Romans 16:3).

A Hero Behind the New Testament

A Hero Behind the New Testament

Acts 11: 22 News of [Greeks responding to the Gospel in Antioch] reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.


Counting the Cost

Counting the Cost

There is a scene in the classic western, “The Magnificent 7,” where Chris, the leader of a small group of men who are good with guns, approaches a character named Harry about joining in an effort to help a small Mexican village defend itself from a large band of bandits.  Harry is convinced, however, that this is just a cover for something bigger, such as gold, cattle, or payroll.  “Only what I told you,” said Chris.  Sure, never mind. Just tell me when you can,” Harry replied.  Exasperated, Chris says, “Harry, please don't understand me so fast!