News & Updates

I can talk vision all day long. I can see tremendous possibilities for the future of Cumberland and where God might be leading us. You should be a little weary of such bold language from your Pastor. Why? Because IF I only give you my vision, you and the church at Cumberland may be robbed of God’s greater vision encompassing immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine — according to His power at work within us, and for…

Aren’t feasts fun? This week, my son, Michael, planned a gourmet burger feast for the 50th birthday party of a friend. He planned, and schemed, and worked at having big, juicy, thick turkey burgers piled with lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, onion rings, pickles, bacon, and topped off with a toasted, buttered buns. Wow. It really was a feast! The best part went well beyond the eating. The people, laughter, friendships, gift giving, Blue Ridge cabin, and photographic moments captured…

Hanging in my closet is a really old varsity Letterman’s jacket . There’s a big, orange “W” and “Spartans” on the back. “Alan 78” is embroidered on the left chest area. White leather sleeves MAKE this jacket the absolute bomb. Still pinned to my jacket are gold tennis rackets and cross-country feet for the years I made the Spartan sports program proud! I donned that old musty jacket the other day and walked downstairs into the kitchen. Michael said, “What’s…

How much do my sins cost? Is that a strange question? The Bible says the wages of my sin is death (Romans 6;23a). The term “wages” reflects what a soldier was paid for combat duty. In the first century it was often broiled fish. Sometimes Roman soldiers also received salt as payment. However, fish was the preferred compensation. It sustained life and economics. Without fish in the first century, life was all but impossible. Fish would have been great pay…

Do you know who Caryn Johnson is? What about Eldrick Tont Woods? If those legal birth certificate titles don’t ring a bell, wait for it. I’ll tell you at the end of this email. With the right, recognizable name, we attach great value. Cases in point: Tommy Hilfiger. Ralph Lauren. Sofia Vergara. Levi Strauss. Michael Jordan. Martha Stewart. A savvy marketing campaign combined with name recognition equals higher price tags and greater profits. It really is amazing. A carpet friend…

“Where the rubber meets the road.” Have you heard that quirky phrase before? When you get in your car, pull it out of the garage from where it’s been sitting, and drive to your destination — THAT is where the rubber meets the road. Your tires are giving themselves to the unforgiving asphalt. Because the rubber is meeting, greeting, and heating the road up, your body will be carried to where it needs to be. This is where the rubber…

Another Republican brawl… uh, er… debate was held last night. Wow. I am stunned by how much our politics have turned into a reality TV show sporting record ratings. This past week, I voted for decency, life, values this country was founded on, and convictions beyond who I thought would win. My choice, after the results on Super Tuesday were in, all but suspended his campaign. (sigh) Last night I could only take one hour of the two-hour boxing match.…

Global Mission week at Cumberland has begun. What a joy and a challenge. We have the privileged of having Dr. Hong Yang and his wife Ester who have ministered in communist China for many years and seen the hand of God miraculously move in the way of miracles to see many turn to Jesus. Melanie Hutchison from India is with us who serves the most broken of women in helping them regain their dignity and personhood through job skills training…

Here’s a great story for this Valentine’s Day weekend… Russell Wilson, star quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, has gone public with his celibate, God-pursuing relationship to singer, Ciara. People magazine reports how Wilson, a long-time believer and strong Jesus follower, openly admits his actions (or lack thereof) stem from his faith convictions. Ciara, who shares Wilson’s spiritual passion says, ““We get to have really healthy conversations and focus on each other as people. That is very important to me and…

Super Bowl 50 is all but here. Wow. Did you know there’s only one lucky guy with a recording of the very first Super Bowl televised on CBS and NBC? Troy Haupt’s father did an ahead-of-his-time video taping of the very first NFL championship. Neither CBS nor NBC retained any of their original broadcast recordings. Haupt has been sitting on this secret for years hoping the price would be driven to an all-time high. His lawyers believed he could possibly…