Rev. Dr. Carter Lester

A young man was searching for the secret of wisdom, and heard that there was a guru high in the Himalayas who knew he secret. So, he set off to find the guru, going through much hardship and travail until finally, high in the mountains, he found the Master sitting in the lotus posture. “Tell […]

Kerry was having what she thought would be a routine premarital conversation with a young couple, when it took an unexpected turn, moving suddenly from logistics to theology and Presbyterian history.  Kerry was asking a series of questions in preparation for the service in the sanctuary.  Will there be bridesmaids and grooms?  If so, how […]

Today, we continue our Fall preaching series on the Fruits of the Spirit, the marks of being a Christian. Courage, Peace, Temperance and Self-control, Patience, and Justice lie behind us. Hospitality, Humility, Wisdom, and Gratitude lie ahead of us. During this election season, I have thought what if we were to take this list into […]

Sally and Ryan’s mother faced a situation that all parents often face.  There were two brownies left for her two young children – and one was bigger than the other.  It did not take long for the two children to argue about who would get the bigger piece.  This time, the mother tried a new […]

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  I am guessing that in Paul’s list of some of the fruits of the Spirit, “self-control” is not the one that would get you particularly excited and racing to church to hear preached.  I also imagine that few of […]

“The children were having breakfast.  This was not a pleasant sight.”  So begins Jill Murphy’s children’s book, Five Minutes’ Peace, a children’s book that parents will often offer to read to their children.  Because although the characters in the book are elephants, a mother and three children aged about seven and below, the story describes […]