Category: The Pastor’s Column

Rev. Bob Gilberg, Olive Branch Community Church of FirebaughContributing Writer I hope your Christmas and New Year holidays were meaningful and blessed. For some, your gatherings may have been small and intimate. For others,...

By Pastor Susan Young, Our Father’s HouseContributing Writer Happy New Year! Last week, a dear friend and co-laborer in the Kingdom, Bishop Murray  Galloway, texted a quick nugget, “We can’t conquer what we don’t confront...

BY FATHER JOHN SCHMOLLSt. Joseph’s Catholic Church Merry Christmas! It is a time to celebrate the dignity of human nature and the humility of the Lord to share in our humanity. Christmas teaches us about the centrality of life...

By Fr. Anthony Iromenu, Sacred Heart ChurchContributing Writer “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great...

BY PASTOR SUSAN YOUNGContributing Writer Power and strength seem to be something many seek, but what this looks like in the life of a Christian is not how the world defines it. When you recognize your power, you can be humble....

By Rev. Bob Gilberg, The Olive Branch Community Church of FirebaughContributing Writer Trust is elusive. It takes a lifetime to earn and it can be destroyed in a moment. It seems to be that we have trust issues in the nation we...

BY PASTOR SUSAN YOUNGContributing Writer What does it mean to worship the Lord? When I look at worship in the Bible, I see the life of King David. In 1 Samuel 13:14, God said that David was a man after his own heart. David was a...

Rev. Stephen HammondSenior Pastor of Bethel Community Church “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the...

Rev. Bob Gilberg, The Olive Branch Community Church of Firebaugh When I was growing up, I was taught to admire those who made great sacrifices for our nation, those who overcame insurmountable obstacles to reach extraordinary...

 Fr. John Schmoll, St. Joseph’s Church Los Banos As a fan of the Olympics every two years (Summer and Winter alternating), I was very much looking forward to the opening of the games. Personally, I have always found the opening...

By Pastor Mike Neu, St John’s Lutheran ChurchContributing Writer A shrine sits alongside a busy roadway. It is dedicated to a young man who lost his life running across that road rather than playing it safe and walking to the...

By Fr. John Schmoll, St. Joseph Church Contributing Writer My undergraduate years were spent at Merced College and the University of California, Santa Barbara. I studied hard and did very well at both institutions. I made a lot...